Following the end of a three-month agreement with the federal government to sell at-home COVID-19 tests at a lower price, Walmart and Kroger have raised the prices of Abbott Laboratories' BinaxNow testing kits, NBC News reported Jan. 4.
In September, the Biden administration announced an agreement with Walmart, Amazon and Kroger to sell the at-home rapid test kits at cost to consumers as part of a plan to combat the virus. That agreement expired in December. As of Jan. 4, Walmart's website had Abbott's BinaxNow rapid test kit listed for $19.88, up from $14 in December. Kroger's site listed the tests for $23.99 on Jan. 4. The kits were sold out on both sites, NBC reports.
A Walmart spokesperson told the news outlet that the retailer sold the products at the reduced price through the holidays and that inventory is stronger in stores than online. In a statement to NBC, Kroger said it had fulfilled its commitment to the Biden administration and had reinstated "retail pricing." Amazon did not immediately respond to NBC's request for comment, and Abbott's tests were not available on its site as of Jan. 4.