The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced Thursday that over-the-counter COVID-19 tests for Medicare beneficiaries will be free.

Original Medicare or Medicare Advantage recipients will have access to eight free tests that the Biden administration will cover through Medicaid starting in early spring.

"There are a number of issues that have made it difficult to cover and pay for over-the-counter COVID-19 tests. However, given the importance of expanding access to testing, CMS has identified a pathway that will expand access to free over-the-counter testing for Medicare beneficiaries," the agency said in a statement.

Medicaid’s initiative is to give beneficiaries the same access to free tests that private insurance recipients receive. The Biden administration recently required private insurance companies cover the cost of eight at-home tests per person every month.

However, the original requirement left out people on Medicare, leaving around 36 million senior citizens and Americans with disabilities to not be reimbursed.

"This is the first time that Medicare has covered an over-the-counter test at no cost to beneficiaries," CMS said.

The agency told CNN that setting up the reimbursement process through Medicare will take some time, which is why reimbursements won’t start immediately.

"In the weeks ahead, we'll be working diligently on behalf of people with Medicare to set up a process for them to receive free over-the-counter tests through eligible pharmacies and other participating entities," Dr. Meena Seshamani, director of the Center for Medicare, told CNN.