Paying for pre-cruise COVID test? Over 65, USA citizens on Medicare A & B?

[DaKahuna]

9 hours ago, PaperSniper4 said:

PS - For those on Medicare parts A and B, did you have to file for reimbursement for the COVID test, or did your doctor's office or CVS (etc) do that for you? I asked that question of CVS and my doctor's office and got the standard reply "check with your insurance provider".

 

 Never was charged for a test so never had to file for reimbursement. 

 

We are lucky in our area - there are, except on weekends, usually numerous openings 

 

[Covepointcruiser]

Guess everyone must be happy that the U.S. taxpayers are paying for your cruise required testing.

Great advice on answering the first two questions “yes”, that way you can be sure the taxpayers will help finance your cruise.

[LGW59]

On 2/23/2022 at 3:43 PM, PaperSniper4 said:

We've got to do those prior to our next cruise. I am neither an attorney nor a doctor, so navigating all these requirements has been an education! I've finally found places that will do the test NET the date we need them; BUT figuring out the cost and if insurance will cover them is a pain.  BTW, I am going to schedule two tests on the date we require them just in case the first doesn't happen for some reason. One at my doctor's office early, the other at CVS later that day which I will cancel if not needed.

 

Here are a few links I found:

https://www.medicareadvantage.com/coverage/does-medicare-cover-covid-19-tests

https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19-tests

https://www.cvs.com/minuteclinic/covid-19-testing/?icid=locator_banner_testing_button

 

The last one is a way to track down if there is a CVS pharmacy near you that conducts the tests. Not all CVC stores do the testing.

 

Hope this is helpful and not more confusing to anyone! BTW, don't ask questions - I probably won't know the answer until after I've had the test the end of March 2022!😉

 

Doug

don't ask questions, silly post.  

[DaKahuna]

6 minutes ago, Covepointcruiser said:

Guess everyone must be happy that the U.S. taxpayers are paying for your cruise required testing.

Great advice on answering the first two questions “yes”, that way you can be sure the taxpayers will help finance your cruise.

I am one of those taxpayers and I don't mind it one bit 

i do not look at it as financing my cruise or anyone else, I look at it as using a medical benefit in order to cruise.  

 

[SandG]

6 hours ago, Covepointcruiser said:

Guess everyone must be happy that the U.S. taxpayers are paying for your cruise required testing.

Great advice on answering the first two questions “yes”, that way you can be sure the taxpayers will help finance your cruise.

Oh, please not start that.  I should probably ignore this but you probably don't understand:
1) I have paid a lot of Medicare taxes into the system over the past 43 years that I've been working.   2) I'm still working part-time so I can afford to take cruises, and because of this, Medicare is not cheap.  My payments for Medicare plus my Medigap premiums cost me over $10,000 a year and that just covers me.  My husband pays the same. 

Too many people think that Medicare is free for everyone.

[PaperSniper4]

14 hours ago, DaKahuna said:

 

 Never was charged for a test so never had to file for reimbursement. 

 

We are lucky in our area - there are, except on weekends, usually numerous openings 

 

Good to hear, thanks.

 

[JamieLogical]

13 hours ago, Covepointcruiser said:

Guess everyone must be happy that the U.S. taxpayers are paying for your cruise required testing.

Great advice on answering the first two questions “yes”, that way you can be sure the taxpayers will help finance your cruise.

 

You understand that testing for travel is to prevent the spread of COVID, right? You understand that taxpayer-funded COVID testing is to prevent the spread of COVID, right? We are using those taxpayer dollars exactly as intended! Also, pretty sure most of us who can afford to cruise are also paying taxes.

[dateacher]

On 2/24/2022 at 8:21 AM, PaperSniper4 said:

I am still debating getting that EMed 6 pack also. We have four cruises scheduled in the next 14 months, so that would mitigate the cost. Still, I'd prefer getting the tests for those cruises at my doctor's office or CVS. But a plan B (and C and D) never hurts! I am hoping those two day prior tests won't be required UFN, but they probably will be at at least the next year....my guess.

 

Doug

 

PS - For those on Medicare parts A and B, did you have to file for reimbursement for the COVID test, or did your doctor's office or CVS (etc) do that for you? I asked that question of CVS and my doctor's office and got the standard reply "check with your insurance provider".

Be careful. The tests expire so you may not get to use all of them if you're 14 months out.

 

[BAYA]

On 2/23/2022 at 5:57 PM, phoenix_dream said:

CVS does not charge for testing with medicare (or anything else for that matter I believe).  Not sure about your doctor's office.

Not correct. Just 2 days ago I went onto the CVS site to schedule a test and since it was not ordered by my doctor and I answered "no" truthfully to all the qualifying questions, it showed the test would cost me $139. After following all the same research as thread starter I also called my Medicare Part D insurer and went to my Med Supplement plan site. Test is not covered by my insurance and not covered by Medicare because it is not doctor ordered.

I ordered a 3-pack of the Abbot BinaxNow tests that are proctored online for $100.

[BklynBorn47]

1 minute ago, BAYA said:

Not correct. Just 2 days ago I went onto the CVS site to schedule a test and since it was not ordered by my doctor and I answered "no" truthfully to all the qualifying questions, it showed the test would cost me $139. After following all the same research as thread starter I also called my Medicare Part D insurer and went to my Med Supplement plan site. Test is not covered by my insurance and not covered by Medicare because it is not doctor ordered.

I ordered a 3-pack of the Abbot BinaxNow tests that are proctored online for $100.

I called my insurance company after seeing the $139 charge on CVS in case Medicare didn't cover it.   My insurance covers it.  I was told to just save my receipt.  Supposedly they will pay for the home tests I bought also as long as I submit the receipt.  We will see.  

[BAYA]

3 minutes ago, BklynBorn47 said:

I called my insurance company after seeing the $139 charge on CVS in case Medicare didn't cover it.   My insurance covers it.  I was told to just save my receipt.  Supposedly they will pay for the home tests I bought also as long as I submit the receipt.  We will see.  

My Part D insurer said to save the receipt in case "at some point in the future" they decided to cover the test. On the Med. Supplement insurer site they specifically said that Covid testing wasn't covered unless ordered by my doctor. The verbiage on the CVS and Walgreens sites reassures customers that insurance will reimburse them for the test. Misleading or even deceptive for Medicare recipients. 

As OP have stated, to get around this one must answer Yes to the first or second questions prior to booking the test appointment.

[JamieLogical]

28 minutes ago, BAYA said:

Not correct. Just 2 days ago I went onto the CVS site to schedule a test and since it was not ordered by my doctor and I answered "no" truthfully to all the qualifying questions, it showed the test would cost me $139. After following all the same research as thread starter I also called my Medicare Part D insurer and went to my Med Supplement plan site. Test is not covered by my insurance and not covered by Medicare because it is not doctor ordered.

I ordered a 3-pack of the Abbot BinaxNow tests that are proctored online for $100.

 

Seems to me almost every American could truthfully answer yes to the first question.

 

 

Unless you just happen to live in one of the handful of blue or yellow counties on this map:

 

[LGW59]

2 hours ago, JamieLogical said:

 

You understand that testing for travel is to prevent the spread of COVID, right? You understand that taxpayer-funded COVID testing is to prevent the spread of COVID, right? We are using those taxpayer dollars exactly as intended! Also, pretty sure most of us who can afford to cruise are also paying taxes.

I can afford to cruise, but I in no way believe taxpayers should be paying for a test to go on vacation.  Save me the preventing Covid, I know all about it.  If one can afford to cruise, one can afford to pay for the test.  I am taking a land vacation, my choice, the govt did not tell me to do it, thus, I will use my own funds to pay for the test for a vacation that I am choosing to take.

[sanger727]

1 hour ago, BAYA said:

Not correct. Just 2 days ago I went onto the CVS site to schedule a test and since it was not ordered by my doctor and I answered "no" truthfully to all the qualifying questions, it showed the test would cost me $139. After following all the same research as thread starter I also called my Medicare Part D insurer and went to my Med Supplement plan site. Test is not covered by my insurance and not covered by Medicare because it is not doctor ordered.

I ordered a 3-pack of the Abbot BinaxNow tests that are proctored online for $100.

 

A doctor does not need to order a test for it to be covered. I've taken a handful. Some were ordered by my doctor and others weren't, they were all paid by my insurance. I use the pre-screening tools on the testing sites website. I've not had trouble finding questions on their screens that I can honestly answer "yes" to. 

[suzyluvs2cruise]

On 2/23/2022 at 3:19 PM, DaKahuna said:

If you look at the first question at the top, I always answer that Yes.  

 

Consider that I'll be boarding and airplane to get to where I am going I would say that satisfies the "high transmission rates and difficulty maintaining social distancing." 

 

How does having a test PRIOR to boarding an airplane make a difference other then to possibly prevent YOU from transmitting it? IMHO it would be prudent to have the test AFTER you were in a situation where it was difficult to maintain social distancing. 

Edited February 25, 2022 by suzyluvs2cruise

[JamieLogical]

6 minutes ago, suzyluvs2cruise said:

 

How does having a test PRIOR to boarding an airplane make a difference? IMHO it would be prudent to have the test AFTER you were in a situation where it was difficult to maintain social distancing. 

 

So you don't spread your COVID to everyone onboard the plane....

[PatC]

This may sound like it's soon to ask but here goes.  We received the antigen test kits thru the US Post Office site.  We sail in May.  My only question is if anyone used this method what is your proof to the cruise line that you actually took the test and it was negative.  Is there a question on your documents to send that "proof"?  I have watched the video and it's pretty simple but wondered how they obtain the results?

[JamieLogical]

5 minutes ago, PatC said:

This may sound like it's soon to ask but here goes.  We received the antigen test kits thru the US Post Office site.  We sail in May.  My only question is if anyone used this method what is your proof to the cruise line that you actually took the test and it was negative.  Is there a question on your documents to send that "proof"?  I have watched the video and it's pretty simple but wondered how they obtain the results?

 

Non-proctored home tests are not accepted by any of the major cruise lines right now. The only home tests that qualify are the ones that are proctored via video conference. So the free ones we all got through the USPS cannot be used.

 

Here is that info from the Celebrity FAQ:

 

Tests We Do Not Accept

• Antibody tests are not accepted, as they do not detect a current infection.
• Home test kits that are self-administered at home, and not supervised live by a telehealth professional, are also not accepted.

 

https://www.celebritycruises.com/healthy-at-sea/faqs

 

Edited February 25, 2022 by JamieLogical

[SandG]

1 hour ago, PatC said:

This may sound like it's soon to ask but here goes.  We received the antigen test kits thru the US Post Office site.  We sail in May.  My only question is if anyone used this method what is your proof to the cruise line that you actually took the test and it was negative.  Is there a question on your documents to send that "proof"?  I have watched the video and it's pretty simple but wondered how they obtain the results?

Yeah, we got those kits too and it's a shame that we cannot use them for the cruise.

Last time we cruised (early Nov.) we ordered the proctored Binax Now tests.  We bought the pack of three because we'd heard there were occasional problems with the tests.  We only needed two and used up the third before Christmas because it was expiring by then anyway.

I hate buying three more tests when we have 4 of those government home tests already sitting on a shelf here in our house, but that's what we'll have to do; either that or go to a local testing location.  (We cruise in 2 weeks.)

With any luck, they'll drop the testing requirement by the time you cruise.

Edited February 25, 2022 by SandG

[phoenix_dream]

6 hours ago, JamieLogical said:

 

Seems to me almost every American could truthfully answer yes to the first question.

 

 

Unless you just happen to live in one of the handful of blue or yellow counties on this map:

 

I agree.  Anyone traveling can honestly answer the first couple of questions in my opinion.  And if you happen to be in a "blue" section, you certainly can answer it truthfully as regards traveling through and/or staying in Florida pre-cruise!

[phoenix_dream]

5 hours ago, LGW59 said:

I can afford to cruise, but I in no way believe taxpayers should be paying for a test to go on vacation.  Save me the preventing Covid, I know all about it.  If one can afford to cruise, one can afford to pay for the test.  I am taking a land vacation, my choice, the govt did not tell me to do it, thus, I will use my own funds to pay for the test for a vacation that I am choosing to take.

There's certainly logic to your argument.  At the same time, by taking that vacation you are contributing to a part of the economy that was severely adversely impacted by the Covid shutdowns.  So one could argue that warrants the ability to test for "free".  And as we know, nothing is free.  I have paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxes over the years and if some of that tax money is going towards testing to make sure people stay safe then I am good with it.

[BklynBorn47]

20 hours ago, BAYA said:

My Part D insurer said to save the receipt in case "at some point in the future" they decided to cover the test. On the Med. Supplement insurer site they specifically said that Covid testing wasn't covered unless ordered by my doctor. The verbiage on the CVS and Walgreens sites reassures customers that insurance will reimburse them for the test. Misleading or even deceptive for Medicare recipients. 

As OP have stated, to get around this one must answer Yes to the first or second questions prior to booking the test appointment.

Ah, now I see the difference.  I have a regular insurance policy that I kept after retirement as well as Medicare.  My insurance is not a "Medicare Supplement"  

So I believe that regular insurance will cover the tests but the "supplements" are in a different category.  

[PaperSniper4]

22 hours ago, dateacher said:

Be careful. The tests expire so you may not get to use all of them if you're 14 months out.

 

An excellent point, thanks for reminding me to check the expiration on them.

 

Doug

[Guppy99]

On 2/23/2022 at 3:43 PM, PaperSniper4 said:

We've got to do those prior to our next cruise. I am neither an attorney nor a doctor, so navigating all these requirements has been an education! I've finally found places that will do the test NET the date we need them; BUT figuring out the cost and if insurance will cover them is a pain.  BTW, I am going to schedule two tests on the date we require them just in case the first doesn't happen for some reason. One at my doctor's office early, the other at CVS later that day which I will cancel if not needed.

 

Here are a few links I found:

https://www.medicareadvantage.com/coverage/does-medicare-cover-covid-19-tests

https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19-tests

https://www.cvs.com/minuteclinic/covid-19-testing/?icid=locator_banner_testing_button

 

The last one is a way to track down if there is a CVS pharmacy near you that conducts the tests. Not all CVC stores do the testing.

 

Hope this is helpful and not more confusing to anyone! BTW, don't ask questions - I probably won't know the answer until after I've had the test the end of March 2022!😉

 

Doug

The quick test is all you need to board. They can be purchased and you can do them with an online monitor. The results are ready in 15 minutes. You can order them no

 

On 2/24/2022 at 8:21 AM, PaperSniper4 said:

I am still debating getting that EMed 6 pack also. We have four cruises scheduled in the next 14 months, so that would mitigate the cost. Still, I'd prefer getting the tests for those cruises at my doctor's office or CVS. But a plan B (and C and D) never hurts! I am hoping those two day prior tests won't be required UFN, but they probably will be at at least the next year....my guess.

 

Doug

 

PS - For those on Medicare parts A and B, did you have to file for reimbursement for the COVID test, or did your doctor's office or CVS (etc) do that for you? I asked that question of CVS and my doctor's office and got the standard reply "check with your insurance provider".

If you go to CVS you only have to provide your medicare number.  You don't have to file anything and neither does your doctor.  If you are purchasing tests to do with an online monitor, then you pay and medicare will not reimburse.

[PaperSniper4]

10 hours ago, Guppy99 said:

........

If you go to CVS you only have to provide your medicare number.  You don't have to file anything and neither does your doctor.  ......

Thanks for that bit of your experience. I'm sure our tests will go the same.

 

Doug