Few have gotten rapid COVID tests reimbursed. Here's why.

Also: A new study highlights the potentially "dangerous" consequences of the CDC's isolation guidelines [View in browser](    [❤️]( February 7, 2022 Hello CommonHealth reader, As the omicron variant raced across the country, there was outcry that rapid COVID-19 tests were too expensive and hard to find. In response, the Biden administration required private health insurers to cover the cost of up to eight rapid tests per month per member, starting Jan. 15. This past week, I went to my health insurer’s website, filled out the form required to get my tests reimbursed and emailed it in. The task had lingered on my to-do list for more than a week. However, the whole process only took seven minutes. I was curious: were others using it, too? What I found surprised even the experts. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts told me that just about 0.5% of eligible members had taken advantage of its program through the end of January. For Tufts Health Plan and Harvard Pilgrim HealthCare — which share a parent company — the number was even lower: less than 0.05% (or one of every 2,000 members). “I would expect the numbers to be low, but that's even lower than I expected,” said Atul Grover, the head of Association of American Medical Colleges' think tank, after I shared the numbers. “I would expect at least getting into the single digits somewhere.” I asked a handful of experts why the numbers seem so low, and they all said it’s likely a combination of several factors: - People don’t know about the program. After all, there was no advertising campaign to inform the public. - Demand is down because omicron peaked in Massachusetts just as the program was coming online. Plus, many people have access to free tests through school, work or [another federal program]( that’s mailing four rapid tests to each household. - The process is too onerous and confusing. Each health insurer has designed its own system, and many systems are still evolving. Some insurers are offering reimbursement after the member fronts the cost; others have set up a network of pharmacies where you can get the tests for free. Experts also told me there’s no incentive for insurers to make the system easy since they are being forced to foot the bill. - It’s still early days, and people have yet to file for reimbursement for tests bought in January. That said, it may not be a closed book. Grover and others say a key question will be how many people take advantage of the program in the months ahead, especially if and when another surge hits. P.S. — A quick reminder that it’s almost Valentine’s Day, and you can support WBUR by buying flowers for your loved ones through our fundraiser. We will deliver your gift nearly anywhere in New England. Learn more and [place your order here.Â]( Gabrielle Emanuel Health reporter [Follow]( Support the news  This Week's Must Reads [Vaccine hesitancy or lack of access? New study examines racial gaps in COVID vaccination rates]( The research suggests barriers to access were a more significant factor in vaccination disparities in the U.S. than the U.K. [Read more.]( [Vaccine hesitancy or lack of access? New study examines racial gaps in COVID vaccination rates]( The research suggests barriers to access were a more significant factor in vaccination disparities in the U.S. than the U.K. [Read more.]( [The future of the pandemic is looking clearer as we learn more about infection]( Scientists are beginning to come up with answers to the question of how long antibodies from an infection can protect you — and what they'll protect you from. 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On day six, 58% of them tested positive and half of those folks had “high virus load,” likely making them quite contagious. Oddly, the rate of positivity was two to three times higher if the person was boosted. Mina said this is not because being boosted makes someone more infectious. Instead, he said, it’s probably because boosted people tend to have symptoms earlier, test earlier and start their isolation “clock” earlier in the infection. These findings must be taken cautiously since this research has not yet been peer reviewed. But the study suggests there could be very real consequences to the current CDC policy. The authors conclude that “early liberation from isolation should be undertaken only with the understanding that …[it] may increase the risk of COVID-19 spread to others which, in turn, may undermine the intended benefits to staffing by resulting in more sick workers.” "There was definitely a double whammy effect in the U.S." — Andrew Chan, of Massachusetts General Hospital, said about [a new study]( racial and ethnic vaccine disparities in the U.K. and the U.S. ICYMI [Foggy glasses boost demand for laser eye surgery during pandemic]( The American Refractive Surgery Council estimates nearly 834,000 people received laser vision correction surgery in 2021, the highest number since it started counting the procedures in 2015. Here's why doctors think the cause is the pandemic. 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