Humana Ups COVID-19 Testing With At-Home, Drive-Thru Testing

July 03, 2020 - Humana is expanding its COVID-19 testing strategy by providing members both with access to at-home testing as well as drive-thru testing at Walmart locations, the payer recently announced.

Humana will be the first healthcare payer to provide members access to the LabCorp at-home COVID-19 testing kit. The payer will also be the first to provide member access to drive-thru testing at Walmart Neighborhood Market locations, completed in partnership with Quest Diagnostics.

Humana will also continue to waive cost-sharing for COVID-19 diagnostic testing, it confirmed.

Members may access the at-home test kits or the drive-thru testing option by first completing the online Humana COVID-19 risk calculator.

The risk assessment looks at whether the patient is displaying symptoms for the novel coronavirus or whether the patient has reasonably in contact with someone who has tested positively for COVID-10. Patients who qualify for a test will be given the option of using an at-home test or going to a drive-thru testing location.

This is a considerable step forward as public health officials call for more widespread testing to ideally track and contain disease outbreaks.

“Our members continue to be worried about COVID-19 – including the anxiety about possibly having it and not knowing it,” said Mona Siddiqui, Humana senior vice president of Clinical Strategy and Quality. “We want to help alleviate that stress. This is an additional step we can take to help address their concerns – whether testing from the safety of their own home or using the drive-thru option.”

The at-home test kits allow patients to collect their own nasal swabs, Humana confirmed, and are physician-authorized.

“Testing is a critical component in helping to control the spread of COVID-19 and LabCorp is proud to make our high-quality at-home collection kit even more accessible to Humana’s membership,” said Brian Caveney, MD, chief medical officer and president of LabCorp Diagnostics, which is providing the tests.

“Our at-home collection kit, the first to receive emergency use authorization from the FDA, is another example of how we are making testing easier, faster and more readily available to people who need to be tested.”

Members selecting the drive-thru testing option can access it at a Walmart drive-thru pharmacy. Pharmacists will oversee receipt of the tests.

Humana said Walmart already has hundreds of these sites built nationwide, and part of its own program will seek to broaden that number.

“Our goal has always been to help bring COVID-19 testing access to as many communities as we can during this unprecedented time,” said Thomas Van Gilder, MD, chief medical officer for Walmart. “We’re pleased to work with Quest Diagnostics to bring testing access to Humana members and others at our Neighborhood Market pharmacy drive-thru windows, creating a convenient way for Humana members to be tested and protect themselves, their families and their communities.”

Currently, Humana does not have a medical transportation plan for individuals seeking the drive-thru test but are unable to obtain transportation themselves. The payer said it is working to solidify plans.

This announcement follows a series of steps Humana has taken to improve member care experience and access throughout the pandemic and into the recovery stages.

For example, the payer has waived out-of-pocket costs for office visits in an effort to encourage members to continue seeking care access for necessary health concerns. This has been applied to primary care visits and behavioral health, the payer said.

Humana has also extended cost-share waivers for telehealth visits, provided safety kits for patients accessing in-person healthcare, and deployed a team of 2,000 nurses to continue daily member outreach.