The COVID-19 summer surge continues -- 26 states and Washington, DC still face "very high" levels of COVID-19 in wastewater data as of Aug. 22, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In advance of the fall season and cooler weather, the US government has again announced plans to ship free at-home COVID-19 tests to households that request them.
On Aug. 23, the COVIDTests.gov website announced that US households will again be able to order four free at-home COVID test kits in "late September." No official date for the start of the program has been given yet by the US Postal Service or the Department of Health and Human Services.
Dawn O'Connell, assistant secretary for preparedness and response at the Department of Health and Human Services, said, "As families start to move indoors this fall and begin spending time with their loved ones, both very old and very young, they will once again have the opportunity to order up to four new COVID-19 tests free of charge and have them sent directly to their homes," according to ABC News.
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On March 8, 2024, the federal government halted its free COVID test program, which had been restarted in September 2023. There have been a total of six previous rounds of free COVID tests.
Until the program restarts, there are still a few different ways to get free testing for COVID-19. Read on to find out the ways you can still get free COVID testing, as well as how to get your hands on free treatments and COVID-19 vaccines.
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How does the USPS free COVID-19 test program work?
In January 2022, President Joe Biden announced the launch of CovidTests.gov, a website where households could order four free rapid antigen COVID-19 tests shipped by the Postal Service. The site added four more free tests in March 2022, eight more in May 2022, four more in December 2022 and four more again in September 2023. This new round of shipments will also include four COVID tests to start.
Unlike some complicated government applications, ordering free tests from the Postal Service in the past has been simple. It should take less than 2 minutes to complete a short form asking for your name and mailing address, and the tests should ship in about a week or two. People without internet access or those who have trouble ordering online should be able to request tests using a toll-free phone number: 800-232-0233.
It's not clear exactly how long the free COVID-19 tests will last, so it's best to get your order in early when the new shipments begin in September.
How will I order free tests from USPS?
When the Postal Service starts taking orders for COVID-19 tests again in late September, you'll probably need to provide only a minimum of personal information like your name and your address to order your tests. You won't need to provide any credit or debit card details -- the tests and the shipping are free.
All orders will likely be shipped via First Class Package Service. People who can't access the website or who have trouble ordering online should be able to call 800-232-0233 to order their free tests, once the program starts up again in September.
When will my COVID tests arrive?
In the past, free COVID tests from USPS have arrived about two weeks after ordering. The tests are typically sent out within seven to 12 days and are delivered by USPS within one to three days after shipping.
What are my free COVID-19 testing options now?
Until the Postal Service begins shipping free COVID tests again in late September, you have five main avenues to find free COVID-19 testing locations across the US: HRSA health centers, Test to Treat locations, ICATT testing sites, private health insurance, and Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program. These options function similarly, but we'll break down the specific steps to find your nearest free testing location.
HRSA health centers offer free COVID-19 testing
HRSA health centers offer free COVID-19 testing.
HRSA/Screenshot by CNETThe Health Resources and Services Administration funds health centers across the US. At these HRSA health centers, you will be able to receive free COVID-19 testing. You can use HRSA's locator tool to find a center near you.
First, select the language you would like to receive your results in. Then simply enter the location you wish to search into the box labeled Location. The locator also allows you to widen your search radius, so you can see all the options your area has to offer.
Once you've found a center that works for you, click through to that particular location's website and follow their specific instructions for obtaining a free COVID-19 test.
Test to Treat locations have COVID testing and medicine
The Test to Treat program makes COVID testing and therapeutics more accessible.
HHS/Screenshot by CNETTest to Treat is a federally funded healthcare initiative that provides more accessible COVID-19 care. This option differs from the others in this article as you can use the Test to Treat centers to receive both COVID testing and treatment for infections. Like the other COVID-19 free testing options, Test to Treat has a locator tool that you can use to find an eligible Test to Treat center near you.
The Test to Treat center locator works like the other COVID testing search tools. Enter your location into the search bar and the tool will display Test to Treat locations in your area. A sliding bar lets you resize the search radius to capture all of the Test to Treat centers within your area.
Within the Test to Treat locator results, you'll be able to see each location's address, which COVID-19 therapeutics they offer and other special instructions you might need to know to get tested. If there's not an option to schedule a COVID test online through your chosen site, you may need to call.
Increasing Community Access to Testing provides COVID testing for the uninsured
ICATT offers free testing to uninsured patients who are showing symptoms of COVID-19 or who have recently been exposed.
CDC/Screenshot by CNETIncreasing Community Access to Testing, or ICATT, is another free testing program that you can use if you need access to free COVID-19 testing. ICATT works a bit differently than the other programs on this list.
ICATT is specifically designed for uninsured patients who have been exposed to COVID-19 or are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19. Anyone can get an ICATT test at one of the program's locations, regardless of insurance status. If you are uninsured and you wish to be tested at an ICATT-eligible site, you will not need to pay for your test. If you are insured, you might need to pay a fee.
The ICATT locator tool works just like the other locator tools for free COVID testing -- input your address or your ZIP code to find ICATT locations near you. There is a search radius adjuster in this locator to tweak your searches to capture the entire area that you want to search.
Once you've found a location, follow your testing site's steps for scheduling your appointment.
What about free COVID tests from health insurance, Medicare or Medicaid?
On Jan. 10, 2022, President Joe Biden announced that all health insurance companies would be required by law to provide their customers with eight free COVID-19 tests per month. However, that requirement expired with the end of the national public health emergency for COVID-19 on May 11, 2023.
California law still requires all health care providers to offer eight free at-home COVID-19 tests per month to their customers. Outside that state, you'll need to check with your own health insurance to learn its coverage policy for over-the-counter COVID tests.
Medicare generally doesn't pay for over-the-counter products like COVID-19 test kits, according to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Medicare's coverage of at-home COVID tests ended with the public health emergency.
If you're enrolled in Medicare Plan B, you still have access to "laboratory-conducted COVID-19 tests" such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, but you won't be covered for over-the-counter rapid antigen tests. If you have health care coverage through Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program, you can still receive free at-home COVID tests through Sept. 30, 2024.
How can I get free COVID-19 vaccines and booster shots?
COVID-19 vaccines and boosters are an important protection against contracting or getting seriously ill from the virus. Since the CDC has recommended updated COVID-19 booster shots for everyone 6 months or older, you might be wondering how to find free COVID-19 vaccines.
If you don't have insurance or a health provider, you can still get COVID vaccines free for a short period of time.
On Sept. 14, 2023, the Department of Health and Human Services launched the Bridge Access Program, which will continue to provide free vaccines to those who are uninsured through local health departments and HRSA centers. The CDC has also partnered with "more than 20,000 retail pharmacy locations nationwide" to provide free vaccines by modifying the existing ICATT program mentioned above.
Funding for the Bridge Access Program will end after August 2024, but until then, you'll be able to access free COVID-19 vaccines. To use it, go to vaccines.gov, choose which shot you want, and then click the "search" button. On the next page, select the option that says "Bridge Access Program Participant" to show which locations offer no-cost vaccines.
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