Statement on Over-the-Counter COVID-19 Test Coverage

BATON ROUGE, La. –  At Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana, we have seen firsthand the impact COVID-19 has had on our members, our provider partners and on all Louisianians. We agree with the administration that adequate access to testing is important, and we are supportive of providing coverage of COVID-19 tests to our members. We are looking at multiple ways to get our members access to test kits, including access through retail pharmacies and providing direct fulfillment of test kits, if possible. However, we are concerned about the shortage of over-the-counter test kits, and the coverage requirement does not address or solve this issue.  

We have only four days to implement the requirement from the time it was announced earlier this week, and we are still working through the logistics. We will post those details to our website once they are finalized. If any of our eligible members purchase an over-the-counter test kit starting on Saturday, Jan. 15, 2022, they will get reimbursed in accordance with the federal guidance. 

For information on what Blue Cross is doing in response to COVID-19, visit www.bcbsla.com/covid19. 

About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana is committed to our mission to improve the health and lives of Louisianians. Founded in New Orleans in 1934, we are a tax-paying nonprofit health insurer with offices in every major region to serve our customers. We were recognized in 2019 and 2020 as an honoree of The Civic 50, named by Points of Light as one of the 50 most community-minded companies in the United States. 

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. We are a private mutual company, owned by our policyholders, with an independent Louisiana Board of Directors and no shareholders. We invite all Louisianians to visit our website at www.bcbsla.com or talk to us on social media.