Walmart and Kroger raised the price of Abbott’s at-home Covid-19 test kit after an agreement with the White House to sell the tests at a reduced price expired, the companies said Tuesday.
The BinaxNOW kit, one of the first at-home tests to be authorized by the federal government, was listed on Walmart’s website Tuesday for $19.88, up from $14 last month. Kroger listed the tests for $23.99.
President Joe Biden announced the agreement with Walmart, Amazon and Kroger in September, saying it was part of his administration’s plan to ramp up testing and “better detect and control” the coronavirus variant that then posed the greatest danger — delta.
The three-month agreement to sell the tests “at cost” expired last month, just as the new omicron variant began advancing quickly across the U.S.
A spokeswoman said in an email Tuesday that unlike other retailers, Walmart continued selling the product for $14 through the holidays.
“We have seen significant demand for at home Covid-19 testing kits and are working closely with our suppliers to meet this demand and get the needed product to our customers,” she said, adding that inventory has remained stronger in stores than online.
