Insurers to offer free testing, treatment for coronavirus

Mar 9, 2020

The Commonwealth’s Division of Insurance has instructed health insurers to provide zero-cost coronavirus testing and treatment. 

A group of 62 state legislators, including Marc Pacheco, wrote a letter to Governor Charlie Baker urged him to ensure “cost does not serve as a barrier to Massachusetts residents.”

“We fear that individuals who should be tested will refrain from doing so due to a fear of exorbitant associated costs,” wrote the legislators.

Healthcare providers have been told by the state to waive copayments and deductibles for coronavirus tests and treatment. While guidance from the Division of Insurance is not legally binding, it is almost always followed.

The Division told insurers in a Friday bulletin to “relax out-of-network requirements” and “forego any cost-sharing – copayments, deductibles, or coinsurance – for medically necessary Coronavirus testing, counseling, urgent-care centers, or emergency rooms.”