The announcement followed weeks of clamor from lawmakers and health care advocates, who argued that Medicare recipients had been passed over in the administration’s push to require private insurers to cover the tests.

Under the plan, which will also apply to Medicare Advantage beneficiaries, Medicare will pay eligible pharmacies and health providers to offer the tests. The administration did not say how many pharmacies would participate.

“The cost of paying for tests and the time needed to find free testing options are barriers that could discourage Medicare beneficiaries from getting tested, leading to greater social isolation and continued spread of the virus,” Nancy LeaMond, an AARP official, said in a statement on Thursday commending the administration for the new policy.

The Coronavirus Pandemic: Key Things to Know

The state of the virus in the U.S. Though the country continues to face higher Covid death rates than other wealthy nations, new cases are falling. On the vaccine front, Pfizer is seeking authorization of its vaccine for children younger than 5, despite questions about its effectiveness. The U.S. surgeon general promised a rigorous review.

Around the world. Several countries are easing their pandemic protocols, though public health leaders at the World Health Organization continued to urge caution about relaxing restrictions. In Austria, a sweeping Covid vaccine mandate is set to become law.

Developments in the research field. Intranasal vaccines currently under development may make better boosters by stopping the coronavirus in mucosal linings of the airways. Nasal immunization has already been shown to be effective in protecting mice, ferrets, hamsters and monkeys against the coronavirus.

Staying safe. Worried about spreading Covid? Keep yourself and others safe by following some basic guidance on when to test, which mask to pick and how to use at-home virus tests. Here is what to do if you test positive for the coronavirus, and if you lose your vaccination card.

The plan is the latest move in a patchwork of federal efforts to deliver more rapid tests, after President Biden received sharp public blowback over a shortage of the tests around the holidays, when cases of the Omicron variant skyrocketed and demand for the tests soared. As the Biden administration hunted for tests to purchase, manufacturers scrambled to meet the demand from public and commercial buyers across the world.

The administration has already mailed tens of millions of free rapid tests as part of a new Postal Service program, the White House said last week. Every American household can order four tests through that program for now. At least 60 million households, nearly half the total number in the United States, have ordered tests from the program, which uses a website and hotline for orders. Like all Americans, Medicare enrollees are eligible to receive those tests.

The Biden administration said on Thursday that Medicare enrollees were also still able to get free coronavirus tests at more than 20,000 community sites, and also when tested by health providers.