A retro feel to Biden’s plan for covering OTC virus testing

By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration’s plan for health insurers to reimburse consumers for over-the-counter COVID-19 tests is recalling the model of a bygone era when the companies processed large volumes of claims from individuals — with paper receipts. It’s unclear if the buy-first, get-paid-later approach will spur people to go out and get the tests, even with new urgency around the highly transmissible omicron variant. But the White House is projecting confidence it can overcome problems that have bedeviled U.S. testing from the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Anticipated approval of antiviral pills that COVID-19 patients can take at home is expected to increase demand for fast tests that can provide reliable results.