Nearly a quarter of all claims for COVID-19 tests are coming from out-of-network providers, and the share of claims for tests with inflated prices has grown since this summer, according to a survey from the health insurance trade group America's Health Insurance Plans.
The survey, conducted in October, was fielded to insurers that the trade group represents. It asked about the prices charged by out-of-network providers for COVID-19 diagnostic, antibody and antigen tests. The trade group received 22 responses from insurers that represent 76 percent of its members' commercial enrollment. It follows a similar survey members of the trade group completed in July.
Compared to the July survey, in October insurers reported a higher share of claims for COVID-19 tests with costs that were much greater than the average $130. Among insurers that responded to both surveys, their share of out-of-network tests grew by 14 percent since July.
The trade group also found the share of claims for COVID-19 diagnostic and antibody tests that cost more than 50 percent of the average cost have increased by 10 percent since July.
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