SoonerCare members may now receive U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved at-home, over the counter COVID-19 testing kits at no cost to the member.

According to guidance from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, OHCA will reimburse contracted pharmacies that dispense the test kits to a SoonerCare member.

Members may receive select test kits from their pharmacy without needing to see their primary care physician. These kits will not have a co-payment and will not count against the member’s monthly prescription limit of six.

“We understand the importance of taking care of our SoonerCare members well-being, while also lessening the burden on emergency rooms,” said Dr. Terry Cothran, Senior Pharmacy Director at the Oklahoma Health Care Authority. “If a SoonerCare member chooses to not use the at-home test kit, we encourage them to use other testing locations rather than the emergency room.”

At-home test kits use nasal swabs and provide results in often 30 minutes or less. Members are encouraged to contact their local pharmacy to ensure they have available tests. A pharmacy locator is available to search on OHCA’s website at okhca.org.

SoonerCare also covers PCR testing and rapid-antigen testing at various medical locations for members who do not want an at-home testing kit.