Now that cooler fall temperatures are right here, it is a good time to start out desirous about COVID-19 safety. You may take into account getting updated COVID vaccines — together with the brand new Novavax vaccine. And if you wish to hold some check kits helpful, you are in luck: the federal authorities has began sending at-home COVID exams once more.
Utilizing the COVIDTests.gov web site, US households can as soon as once more order 4 free at-home COVID check kits. The federal government opened the ordering system on Sept. 26.
Past the free exams from USPS, there are nonetheless a couple of other ways to get free testing for COVID-19. Learn on to seek out out the methods you may nonetheless get free COVID testing, in addition to get free COVID therapies.
For extra, be taught the best time to get a flu shot and how to tell whether your symptoms are COVID-19, flu or just allergies.
How does the USPS free COVID-19 check program work?
In January 2022, President Joe Biden introduced the launch of CovidTests.gov, a web site the place households might order 4 free fast antigen COVID-19 exams shipped by the Postal Service. The positioning added 4 extra free exams in March 2022, eight extra in Might 2022, 4 extra in December 2022 and 4 extra once more in September 2023. This new spherical of shipments additionally contains 4 COVID exams to start out. It isn’t sure if there might be one other spherical of free exams this winter.
Not like some difficult authorities functions, ordering free exams from the Postal Service is straightforward. It take lower than 2 minutes to finish a brief type asking in your title and mailing handle, and the exams ought to ship in a couple of week or two. Folks with out web entry or those that have bother ordering on-line can request exams utilizing a toll-free telephone quantity: 800-232-0233
It isn’t clear precisely how lengthy the free COVID-19 exams will final, so it is best to get your order in as early as potential.
How can I order free exams from USPS?
Go to CovidTests.gov after which click on on the blue button studying Order Free At-home Assessments, which can take you to the ordering web page. You solely want to supply your title and your handle to order your exams. You may also enter an e-mail if you wish to obtain delivery notifications. You needn’t present any credit score or debit card particulars — the exams and the delivery are free.
All orders might be shipped through First Class Package deal Service. Individuals who cannot entry the web site or who’ve bother ordering on-line ought to have the ability to name 800-232-0233 to order their free exams.
When will my COVID exams arrive?
Previously, free COVID exams from USPS have arrived about two weeks after ordering. The exams are usually despatched out inside seven to 12 days and are delivered by USPS inside one to 3 days after delivery.
What are my different free COVID-19 testing choices?
Other than the Postal Service’s program to ship free COVID exams, you will have 5 primary avenues to seek out free COVID-19 testing areas throughout the US: HRSA well being facilities, Take a look at to Deal with areas, ICATT testing websites, personal medical insurance, and Medicaid or the Kids’s Well being Insurance coverage Program. These choices perform equally, however we’ll break down the precise steps to seek out your nearest free testing location.
HRSA well being facilities supply free COVID-19 testing
HRSA well being facilities supply free COVID-19 testing.
The Health Resources and Services Administration funds well being facilities throughout the US. At these HRSA well being facilities, it is possible for you to to obtain free COVID-19 testing. You should utilize HRSA’s locator tool to discover a middle close to you.
First, choose the language you want to obtain your leads to. Then merely enter the placement you want to search into the field labeled Location. The locator additionally lets you widen your search radius, so you may see all of the choices your space has to supply.
As soon as you’ve got discovered a middle that works for you, click on by way of to that individual location’s web site and observe their particular directions for acquiring a free COVID-19 check.
Take a look at to Deal with areas have COVID testing and medication
The Take a look at to Deal with program makes COVID testing and therapeutics extra accessible.
Test to Treat is a federally funded healthcare initiative that gives extra accessible COVID-19 care. This feature differs from the others on this article as you should use the Take a look at to Deal with facilities to obtain each COVID testing and remedy for infections. Like the opposite COVID-19 free testing choices, Take a look at to Deal with has a locator instrument that you should use to seek out an eligible Take a look at to Deal with middle close to you.
The Test to Treat center locator works like the opposite COVID testing search instruments. Enter your location into the search bar and the instrument will show Take a look at to Deal with areas in your space. A sliding bar permits you to resize the search radius to seize the entire Take a look at to Deal with facilities inside your space.
Inside the Take a look at to Deal with locator outcomes, you’ll see every location’s handle, which COVID-19 therapeutics they provide and different particular directions you may have to know to get examined. If there’s not an choice to schedule a COVID check on-line by way of your chosen website, you might have to name.
Rising Neighborhood Entry to Testing offers COVID testing for the uninsured
ICATT gives free testing to uninsured sufferers who’re displaying signs of COVID-19 or who’ve not too long ago been uncovered.
Increasing Community Access to Testing is one other free testing program that you should use when you want entry to free COVID-19 testing. ICATT works a bit in a different way than the opposite packages on this checklist.
ICATT is particularly designed for uninsured sufferers who’ve been uncovered to COVID-19 or are experiencing signs of COVID-19. Anybody can get an ICATT check at one of many program’s areas, no matter insurance coverage standing. In case you are uninsured and also you want to be examined at an ICATT-eligible website, you’ll not have to pay in your check. In case you are insured, you may have to pay a payment.
The ICATT locator tool works identical to the opposite locator instruments without spending a dime COVID testing — enter your handle or your ZIP code to seek out ICATT areas close to you. There’s a search radius adjuster on this locator to tweak your searches to seize the whole space that you simply wish to search.
As soon as you’ve got discovered a location, observe your testing website’s steps for scheduling your appointment.
What about free COVID exams from medical insurance, Medicare or Medicaid?
On Jan. 10, 2022, President Joe Biden announced that every one medical insurance firms could be required by regulation to supply their clients with eight free COVID-19 exams monthly. That requirement expired with the end of the national public health emergency for COVID-19 on Might 11, 2023.
California law nonetheless requires all well being care suppliers to supply eight free at-home COVID-19 exams monthly to their clients. Outdoors that state, you may have to verify with your personal medical insurance to be taught its protection coverage for over-the-counter COVID exams.
Medicare usually would not pay for over-the-counter merchandise like COVID-19 check kits, in keeping with the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Medicare’s protection of at-home COVID exams ended with the general public well being emergency.
When you’re enrolled in Medicare Plan B, you continue to have entry to “laboratory-conducted COVID-19 exams” similar to polymerase chain response exams, however you will not be lined for over-the-counter fast antigen exams. If in case you have well being care protection by way of Medicaid or the Kids’s Well being Insurance coverage Program, you may nonetheless obtain free at-home COVID exams by way of Sept. 30, 2024.
For extra, be taught how your blood type could make you more susceptible to COVID.
