Medical insurance to cover individual COVID testing

People can now pay for antigen testing services and antigen testing reagents at public medical institutions with their medical insurance accounts, the Shanghai Healthcare Security Administration said.

According to a notification released by the administration, each antigen testing service will cost 5 yuan (US$0.80) at designated medical institutions.

The price covers services from sampling to report-sending, but not the cost of the testing reagents.

Citizens can also buy antigen testing reagents at designated retail pharmacies in Shanghai with their medical insurance card now.

These are happening as the National Healthcare Security Administration issued a circular on Monday, which announced plans to bring COVID-19 antigen tests and antigen testing reagents into its public medical insurance scheme as an interim measure against the pandemic.

It asked provincial authorities to incorporate antigen testing reagents and corresponding tests into the service catalogue of their basic medical insurance.