Important Notice Regarding At-Home COVID-19 Tests

Updates will be posted here regularly as they become available.

1. How can I obtain an at-home COVID-19 test?

   • Through a participating pharmacy
   Pending available inventory, rapid antigen at-home test kits may also be available at your local drugstore or online retailer. Visit uhahealth.com/pharmacy to find a participating pharmacy.

   Eligible tests will be at no cost to a member when purchased through UHA’s network of participating pharmacies using their point of sale (POS) check out process at the pharmacy counter.  As local pharmacies work to operationalize their check out process, the ability to obtain an at-home test with no out-of-pocket cost to the member might vary from pharmacy to pharmacy as they update their in-store systems. 

   If this is the situation, members will be asked to pay for their test upfront and can submit a claim for reimbursement. Refer to question 5 below for details and procedures of how to submit a reimbursement request directly with UHA.

   By using UHA’s network of participating pharmacies to obtain at-home COVID tests, members may be able to have tests paid for at the point of sale (with no out-of-pocket costs) when purchased from certain UHA participating pharmacy’s counter.

   • Through an online retailer or retail store
   If purchased through an online retailer or at a retail store, a portion of the cost can be reimbursed up to $12 max per individual test (inclusive of tax, fees, and shipping.) Refer to question 5 below for details and procedures of how to submit a reimbursement request directly with UHA.

    Supplies are currently very limited.  As the situation evolves and more information becomes available, we will share updates on how to obtain rapid antigen home tests.

   Additional resources

   Supplies of at-home COVID-19 tests may be limited, here are links to free community testing sites statewide:

   • HawaiiCovid19.com/testing
   • OneOahu.org/covid19-testing

2. What pharmacies are participating providers of UHA?

   UHA’s network of participating pharmacies includes all those listed in our Pharmacy Provider Directory here. If your local pharmacy is not yet operational with point of sale check out, and you have an immediate need to obtain an at-home test, we suggest you purchase available FDA-authorized tests that meet the reimbursement guidelines of $12 max or less per individual test (inclusive of tax, fees and shipping). This will help ensure a simpler direct reimbursement process for you while minimizing any potential out-of-pocket costs for you as well.

3. Which over-the-counter (OTC) COVID-19 at-home tests will UHA cover?

   Only tests authorized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are covered by UHA. To see if a test is FDA-authorized, visit this FDA website to check their list of approved rapid antigen-based tests and review the performance results and reliability data (i.e., rate of false positives and false negatives) of specific tests.

   Tests available for reimbursement should be listed on the FDA website above and state “OTC” for over-the-counter at-home tests.

4. If I pay upfront for my at-home COVID-19 tests, how much will I be reimbursed and how do I get reimbursed?

   UHA will reimburse the cost up to $12 max per individual test that is paid by a member. This means if the member pays less than $12 total for an individual test (inclusive of any taxes, shipping and fees,) UHA will reimburse that lesser amount paid by the member.

   Please save your test kit’s receipts and UPC barcode for reimbursement. Members who make purchases must file a claim within 90 days for reimbursement.

   Click here for instructions on how to file your OTC COVID-19 at-home test reimbursement with UHA.

   Reimbursements may take longer than 30 days to be processed due to a high volume of claims we are experiencing. We ask for your patience to receive your reimbursement.

   For further assistance or questions regarding filing your UHA claim for reimbursement, contact our Customer Services department at (808) 532-4000 or (800) 458-4600 (toll-free), or via email.

5. Will UHA cover at-home COVID-19 tests purchased before Jan. 15, 2022?

   No. This benefit will be covered for UHA members only starting January 15, 2022 as required by the federal government.

6. How do I know which COVID-19 test I should take and when?

   Refer to these Center for Disease Control (CDC) resources on when to self-test using your at-home test kits and for an overview of the different types of available COVID-19 tests and applicable scenarios when each is appropriate.

   Note that UHA does not provide coverage of COVID-19 testing that is for employment purposes.  Click here for further information about UHA’s COVID-19 diagnostic laboratory tests (PCR) and other tests requiring a health care provider’s orders.