Free Covid Treatment Required Under Medicaid, Health Agency Says

State Medicaid programs and the Children’s Health Insurance Program are required to cover treatments for Covid-19 without cost sharing, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said in guidance issued Friday.

The coverage requirement includes drugs approved by the FDA for treating Covid-19, preventive therapies, specialized equipment, and treatments for post-Covid conditions, also known as “long Covid,” the CMS said. Long Covid includes a range of symptoms that can last weeks or months after infection.

States also are required to cover treatments for conditions that may complicate the treatment of Covid-19, if those conditions are otherwise covered under the state ...