Key takeaways:
Free COVID tests are no longer available from the federal government. The most recent program that provided free rapid test kits to every U.S. household concluded in March 2025.
COVID-19 rapid kits are also known as at-home tests, over-the-counter COVID-19 diagnostic tests, or self-tests.
If you have health insurance, you could be covered fully for COVID testing. You may be able to access at-home test kits or COVID testing by a healthcare professional at no cost.
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The most recent federal government program offering free COVID-19 test kits ended in March 2025. Every U.S. household was entitled to four COVID test kits via home delivery.
These kits, which provide rapid results in 30 minutes or less, are also known as self-tests, at-home tests, or over the counter (OTC) COVID-19 diagnostic tests.
The program providing accessible tests by mail for people with disabilities that affect vision and dexterity also ended in March 2025. But other options remain for people with disabilities to access free tests.
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How do I get a free COVID test?
If you have health insurance, you may be eligible for free COVID testing at certain healthcare locations and full coverage of rapid test kits for home use. You also may have the option to buy COVID self-tests with an OTC benefits debit card provided by your insurance plan or submit your receipt for reimbursement.
If you don’t have insurance or don't have full vaccine coverage with your health plan, you may be able to find free COVID testing at:
Libraries
Long-term care facilities
Schools
If you have a disability, the Disability Information and Access Locator search tool can help you find COVID testing, which may be free.
Will insurance cover COVID testing?
The end of the COVID public health emergency on May 11, 2023, changed how COVID vaccines, tests, and other services are covered by insurance as well as your out-of-pocket costs.
Since then, insurance coverage for COVID testing has varied based on your health plan.
There are two kinds of COVID rapid tests. The molecular rapid test is more accurate, but antigen tests are more widely available. Both deliver results in less than 1 hour.
We now have many COVID treatment options. Oral medications, such as Paxlovid and Lagevrio, and IV medications are among the treatments available to help people survive COVID.
Expired COVID tests: Some expired COVID tests have FDA-extended expiration dates, which means they can be used safely beyond the date on the box.
You could have no out-of-pocket costs when you request an in-person test performed by a pharmacist or other healthcare professional with rapid results or analysis by a lab that’s covered by your health plan. If you have COVID testing by an out-of-network healthcare professional or results processed by a lab outside your plan's network, you may not be covered or you may have partial coverage.
Medicare Part B covers COVID tests processed in a lab without cost sharing if they’re ordered and administered by a healthcare professional who accepts original Medicare. Coverage by Medicare Advantage plans must equal or exceed original Medicare's benefits.
Medicaid programs nationwide covered OTC and lab-processed COVID tests with no cost sharing through September 30, 2024. Now coverage varies by state and territory.
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Your health insurance plan may cover self-tests in the following ways:
By reimbursing you for what you spend on purchases
Through digital platforms that let you order from retailers online for delivery by mail
When you present your insurance card at the pharmacy counter in person
If I can’t find free testing, where can I buy a COVID test?
You can buy COVID self-tests at pharmacies and other retailers in person and online. You can purchase an in-person test ordered and performed by a pharmacist with rapid results or analysis by a lab. You can also opt for in-person testing at medical facilities with results processed by a laboratory, and you will be billed as a cash-paying consumer.
Extended expiration dates for at-home COVID tests
A free test you received from the federal government may have an expiration date that is near or past, but the FDA has extended those dates because data has shown that the tests will perform accurately beyond what was known when their shelf lives were determined. You can check the FDA list of extended expiration dates to make sure you can still use your test.
Can I use tax-advantaged healthcare funds to pay for COVID tests?
The cost of COVID self-testing is an eligible medical expense that can be paid for or reimbursed by tax-advantage healthcare funds. These include:
The bottom line
Free COVID tests were available from the federal government with no-cost delivery by mail through March 2025. Every U.S. household qualified for four free rapid kits. Now that the program has ended, a free COVID test may be harder to find. You still may be able to access a free COVID test from other sources, including local health departments, community health centers, and health organizations serving tribal communities. If you have health insurance, your plan may cover free self-test kits. Your health plan may also cover in-person testing by a healthcare professional at no cost.
Why trust our experts?
References
Administration for Community Living. (2025). At-home COVID-19 tests.
Administration for Community Living. (2025). DIAL: Disability information & access locator.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2023). Coverage for COVID-19 tests.
CVS. (n.d.). At home Covid tests education.
CVS. (2023). Get COVID-19 & flu testing & treatment.
Health Resources & Services Administration Data Warehouse. (n.d.). Find a health center.
Internal Revenue Service. (2024). Publication 502 (2024), medical and dental expenses.
Medicare.gov. (n.d.). Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) diagnostic laboratory tests. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Nania, R. (2025). Government suspends free at-home COVID testing program. AARP.
National Association of County & City Health Officials. (n.d.). Directory of local health departments.
USAGov. (2025). COVID-19 testing and vaccinations.
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024). Information on tribes and tribal organizations.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (2023). COVID-19 test basics.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (2025). At-home OTC COVID-19 diagnostic tests.
Walgreens. (n.d.). At home COVID tests.
Walgreens. (n.d.). You may be eligible for no-cost COVID-19 test kits.
