Covid-19 Testing Availability

[tim5055]

I posted this as an answer to another thread, but felt it might be better where more people would see it. So, I deleted that one and posted this one.


Now, without getting too political my personal opinion is that the news you read and see is sensationalizing testing just a little too much. To watch the news you would think the only way to get a Covid test is to wait in an hours long line so someone can shove a Q-Tip up to your brain. It's just not true for almost all of the country.



In addition to our coach, we generally travel to a different Sandals resort once or twice each year. Yes, I'm helping pay for all those TV commercials you see. As all islands require tourists to get a negative Covid test to travel, I've researched testing for folks from all over the country.


Except for rural areas like mine, testing is fairly readily available for anyone who wants it. While "free" testing is a little more limited, you can buy a test for around $125.





So, for those who are interested in a Covid test, these are the options I've found in addition to state/county sponsored locations.

First, all of the big box pharmacies (CVS/Walgreens/Rite-Aid) do it in the drive thru with an appointment. It is self administered under the supervision of the technician. I've done it twice now at CVS. All of them bill health insurance. CVS will also bill the federal testing program if you don't have insurance.



In addition to these three, I've found multiple independent labs around the county who do testing. As an example, I live int he mountains of North Carolina. Basically I'm in a health care desert. Greenville, SC is about 1.5 hours away and there is a lab there that will test you in their drive thru and have results in 24/48 hours for $75

If you don't want to leave home, there are multiple self administered at home test kits.


I won't include any links here, but Google will find any of these tests quickly. All of them FedEx you a test kit, you self administer and package it back up. You can call for a FedEx pick up or drop it in any FedEx drop box, but they ask that you do not take it to a staffed FedEx location to reduce person to person contact. For the pick up you just leave it on your porch.


Both Quest and Labcorp, the nations two largest testing lab companies have their own at home test kits.


LabCorp has branded theirs as "Pixel" and it is all at home. Pixel will bill health insurance if you have symptoms.


Quest has branded theirs QuestDirect and you have the option of all at home or they FedEx you a kit and you go to anyone of 500 drive thru locations for a supervised test.


Other at home tests that are basically re-selling lab services include:

Let's Get Checked

Everylwell

Picture Genetics

Vault Health

All of these testing methods return your test results thru some sort of on line portal. My CVS results were available to me in less than two days both times I tested.


With shipping time included, the at home kits are showing results 2 - 5 days after the lab receives the test.


The big downside to the at home tests is that due to no/limited FedEx pickups on the weekend they ask that you not test Sat/Sun as they want you to test and ship on the same day.

[Old-Biscuit]

CA, TX, FL, NE ARE having COVID Testing issues

[tim5055]

Originally Posted by Old-Biscuit

CA, TX, FL, NE ARE having COVID Testing issues

Yup, I have seen all those photos on the news.



I can schedule a test tomorrow in almost any one of those places or have an at home test delivered tomorrow.


I picked a zip code at random for Los Angeles on the CVS Covid schedule system. There were multiple CVS stores with available appointments, but I will admit the times were limited. For Sunday I could have any time slot I wanted.


This is part of my point, the photos on the news are not reality in many cases.


Testing is available.

[fagnaml]

In the greater Houston area, the "free" testing locations do have long lines of cars which is surprising to me when a majority of folks have medical insurance. For folks who have medical insurance, testing at Urgent Care Centers and free-standing ER's is readily available but require appointments. The cost of the PCR test is covered by insurance. The cost for the rapid antigen test is not covered by insurance and costs ~$125.

I've had the PCR test twice in since June at the urgent care clinic near my home due to potential exposure to kids / grandkids who exhibited Covid type symptoms. Fortunately for me both tests were negative and I've had zero symptoms. One daughter-in-law and her son tested positive for the virus.

As a refinery operations manager I've been at work everday throughout the pandemic without contracting the virus. I and my operations team can't run a refinery from home!

My opinion is the media only shows the long car lines at free testing centers to promote whatever message they want to convey. There is no media coverage at urgent care clinics that doing a great job of servicing their patients!

[Solo_RV_Guy]

Tests are available if you've got the money. Most folks do not know how much, if anything, their private insurance might cover so they seek the free testing sites. The confusion sown by biased mis/disinformation has resulted in an imbalance of demand on testing locations.

"News" is a product around which advertising is sold. Any slant is designed to acquire or retain viewers, listeners, page serves or click throughs. Whether or not one "believes" their news sources is largely a matter of confirmation bias.

[tim5055]

Originally Posted by Solo_RV_Guy

Tests are available if you've got the money.

You don't even need the money.


CVS will bill your insurance or if you don't have insurance all they ask for is a copy if your ID and your social security number so they can bill the federal covid testing program. I can't confirm it, but I have been told Walgreens and Rite-Aid are the same.


The at home Pixel by LabCorp will do the same thing.


As to "confirmation bias", yup we all have it to some degree. We believe what supports our thoughts and tend to discount something that conflicts.


I guess I really posted this to say that testing is available.