COLUMBUS, Ohio — THE QUESTION
Do you need a prescription to buy an at-home COVID test?
THE SOURCES
- Edward Lukco, Faculty in Risk Management and Insurance at Ohio Dominican University
- Dr. Joseph Gastaldo, OhioHealth
THE ANSWER
No, you do not need a prescription to buy an at-home COVID test.
WHAT WE FOUND:
Our experts both explained that you do not need a prescription to purchase an at-home rapid test.
"I've not seen anything from the federal government saying you need a prescription for the rapid test," Lukco explained.
Gastaldo said anyone can get their own rapid COVID-19 tests but says it's a little different for a PCR test.
"PCR tests, for the most part, do require an order by a physician but many health systems, including OhioHealth does allow to be down without a provider's order," he said.
Lukco says if you want your rapid test to be covered by insurance, here's how to go about it.
"Find out the list of preferred locations to get that rapid test. If they don't have them, keep going down the list. And if you can't find on the list, then go somewhere else, knowing that you can spend $12 and be fully reimbursed," he says.
As of Jan. 19, whether you have insurance or not, Americans can order four free at-home rapid tests per family on covidtest.gov.
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