Important Coverage Information: End of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Period
At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government relaxed certain requirements to promote continued access to healthcare services for members enrolled in Medicaid. ARPA enabled fb88Care to cover through September 30, 2024, certain COVID-19 related services which were otherwise not covered under the fb88Care Benefits Manual (MBM).
Effective October 1, 2024, fb88Care will only cover COVID-19 specific drugs, supplies, and services that have FDA approval—it will no longer cover services that rely on Emergency Use Authorization (EUA). fb88Care will resume coverage for COVID-19 related vaccine, testing, and treatment services in accordance with the corresponding sections of the fb88Care Benefits Manual (MBM). Specifically:
Vaccines – fb88Care will cover COVID-19 vaccines with FDA approval, like all other vaccines.
Vaccine Administration – fb88Care will reimburse five dollars ($5) for the administration of FDA approved COVID-19 vaccines to eligible members.
Testing – fb88Care will continue to cover FDA-approved COVID-19 tests administered by fb88Care enrolled providers. fb88Care will no longer cover over-the-counter (a.k.a. at-home) COVID-19 tests. The federal government may provide free at-home COVID-19 tests upon request; more information is available on the .
Treatment – fb88Care will cover the treatment of COVID-19 and related conditions for eligible members, provided the treatment is FDA-approved and is a covered service as defined in the MBM.
Copayments – Certain members will now be responsible for copayments (copays) for certain services related to their fb88Care coverage. Member copay guidance is available on the Department’s Member Resources website.
Individuals without vaccination coverage may be eligible to receive free COVID-19 vaccination through local vaccine programs. Additional information is available online at maine.gov/covid19/vaccines and .
Additional resources are available on fb88Care’s COVID-19 and End of the PHE webpage.
For questions about this document, please contact your Provider Relations Specialist.