Nineteen senators co-signed a letter to HHS and CMS urging the agencies to cover at-home COVID-19 tests for Medicare beneficiaries.
The letter, penned by Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., and backed by 18 others, supported expanded community testing resources and the launch of covidtests.gov as "big steps."
However, the senators said excluding Medicare beneficiaries puts the 61 million Americans already at-risk due to their age further in harm's way.
"Seniors and people with disabilities enrolled in Medicare are at the highest risk of severe illness from COVID-19, and people over 65 account for nearly three-quarters of all deaths from the virus," the lawmakers wrote. "The current policy leaves them on the hook for potentially significant out-of-pocket costs."
"We share your commitment to making sure Medicare enrollees receive the highest quality health care, including access to free at-home rapid COVID-19 testing, and look forward to working with you to address this issue."