Home Test to Treat Program Goes National
A federal program that lets people test and get treated for respiratory illnesses without leaving home has gone national, bringing an end-to-end virtual care model to millions of Americans.
The Home Test to Treat program, a collaboration between the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, now offers free at-home rapid testing, telehealth consultations, and prescription medication delivery for both COVID-19 and influenza A and B to eligible Americans nationwide.
The expansion, announced December 6, follows a pilot program that launched in select locations earlier in 2023.
A First for Dual-Virus Testing
The dual-illness approach matters because it represents the first public health initiative to deploy home testing technology at this scale for both viruses simultaneously.
Participants receive the LUCIRA® by Pfizer COVID-19 & Flu Home Test—the first FDA-authorized test that can detect both viruses from a single sample at home.
Speed: The Driving Logic
Speed is the animating logic.
Antiviral medications for respiratory infections work best when started within days of symptom onset.
By keeping diagnosis, consultation, and treatment entirely virtual, the program aims to compress what could otherwise be a days-long process of scheduling appointments and visiting clinics.
Eligibility: Two Tiers of Access
Tier 1 — Immediate Enrollment
Adults 18 and older who currently test positive for COVID-19 or flu can enroll immediately to receive free telehealth sessions and have prescribed medications delivered to their homes.
Tier 2 — Test-First Access
Adults who haven't tested positive can still obtain free tests if they lack insurance or are covered by Medicare, Medicaid, the Veterans Affairs health system, or Indian Health Services. If they later test positive, the treatment services unlock for them as well.
A Research Platform for Future Care Models
The National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, which runs the program through its RADx Tech initiative, is also using it as a research platform to evaluate patient outcomes and identify what factors drive broader adoption of home-based test-to-treat models.
The program operates under an NIH contract with VentureWell and a subcontract to eMed.
Based on: Home Test to Treat Program Expansion Announcement; National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response; December 6, 2023.