Extra Unfastened COVID Checks by way of USPS Are Now To be had to Order | KQED

A brand new up to date model of the COVID-19 vaccine is now to be had around the state at pharmacies, well being suppliers and clinics, forward of this predicted iciness upward thrust. Learn extra on tips on how to to find your 2024 COVID-19 vaccine.
All of this implies having further COVID-19 antigen assessments for your family over the following couple of months might be a good suggestion, that will help you hastily determine any an infection, and know when to isolate from others. However in 12 months 5 of COVID-19, in case you’ve been discovering it an increasing number of arduous to discover a cheap antigen check extra in most cases, you’re no longer by myself. Use the hyperlinks under to discover a loose or cheap COVID-19 check close to you, or stay studying to determine extra about those newest USPS check kits.
Order loose at-home COVID assessments from the USA executive by way of USPS
Beginning Sept. 26, you’ll be able to as soon as once more order 4 loose at-home COVID-19 antigen assessments from covidtests.gov. No cost or bank card main points will probably be required to put an order. You additionally gained’t want to supply any ID or medical health insurance data.
(This program is cut loose the person who permits other folks with non-public medical health insurance to get reimbursed for the price of at-home COVID-19 assessments. Learn extra about getting reimbursed by means of your well being insurer for at-home assessments.)
You’ll be able to position your order for those 4 loose COVID-19 assessments on-line at USPS.com (the direct hyperlink from covidtests.gov) or order from USPS by means of telephone at 800-232-0233.
At covidtests.gov and after hanging an order, you’ll additionally see a message that the Meals and Drug Management (FDA) has prolonged the expiration dates on those assessments. So don’t fear in case you see “expired” on any field of assessments you obtain — you’ll be able to nonetheless use them, however take a look at the FDA’s complete record of expiration date extensions first to make certain.
COVID-19 checking out has modified massively over the process the pandemic. (Stefani Reynolds/AFP by way of Getty Photographs)
Each residential cope with (and home P.O. field) in the US is eligible to obtain one order of 4 at-home COVID-19 assessments — no longer each and every individual or each and every circle of relatives. This implies more than one orders to the similar cope with below other names gained’t be processed.
As an example, in case you reside with a number of roommates or in a big multigenerational family, just one individual can position an order for that cope with. Realistically, this may imply that the assessments you obtain don’t seem to be sufficient to hide everybody for your family.
Discover a COVID check via your well being care supplier
In case you are insured with primary Bay Space suppliers akin to Kaiser Permanente or Sutter Well being, the perfect approach to safe a COVID-19 check could also be to make an appointment via that individual supplier. Maximum suppliers be offering sign-ups on-line via a member’s login, and appointments will also be made by means of telephone.
Keep in mind that other people with non-public insurance coverage might revel in new out-of-pocket prices for PCR assessments after the top of the emergency orders ultimate 12 months, relying at the supplier.
Medicare will proceed to hide PCR check prices. And below the American Rescue Plan, other people on Medicaid can proceed to get loose at-home assessments till Sept. 30, 2024.
The general public, without reference to insurance plans, should pay for over the counter fast at-home COVID-19 assessments after the federal emergency order ends. Because of a state invoice handed in October 2021, Californians can nonetheless declare repayment from their well being insurer for fast antigen assessments, even supposing as of ultimate 12 months, the ones assessments must be acquired “in-network.”
Discover a COVID check via California’s statewide checking out map
California’s map of COVID-19 checking out and remedy websites will nonetheless display you an inventory of checking out websites, the place you’ll be able to additionally to find places providing assessments for flu and RSV.
Since such a lot of vaccination websites closed in 2023 with the top of the COVID-19 federal emergency orders, name forward sooner than making the shuttle for a drop-in, simply in case a website online closure isn’t mirrored in this map.
Unfastened COVID-19 assessments are a lot tougher to seek out in 2023. (Joseph Prezioso/AFP by way of Getty Photographs)
Discover a COVID check during the CDC’s No-Value Trying out Locator
The CDC nonetheless maintains a national map of COVID-19 checking out places at testinglocator.cdc.gov, and all checking out amenities indexed at the website online “are to be had for free of charge for other people with out medical health insurance” during the Expanding Group Get admission to to Trying out (ICATT) program.
Within the Bay Space, you’ll to find that the places returned while you seek for a loose COVID-19 check via testinglocator.cdc.gov are essentially pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens, and Quest Affected person Provider Facilities.
Discover a COVID check via your Bay Space county
The vast majority of the county checking out websites you noticed on the peak of the pandemic have now close down — however your county can have a number of websites nonetheless running, continuously in partnership with neighborhood teams.
Up to date checking out website online places may also be discovered at each and every county’s checking out webpage under, even supposing you could to find a few of these pages redirect you to the state or U.S. checking out location finders as an alternative.

San Mateo COVID-19 checking out web page now says that “State-sponsored COVID-19 checking out has resulted in San Mateo County” and that PCR and antigen assessments “stay broadly to be had via well being care suppliers and pharmacies.” Sonoma County’s COVID-19 checking out web page does no longer be offering county citizens any loose or cheap checking out places or assets with out insurance coverage and as an alternative says that you simply must “request a check out of your well being care supplier or use an over the counter antigen check bought at an area pharmacy.”
Discover a COVID check via non-public suppliers
All the time take a look at to look how a lot you could be charged for a COVID-19 check at those non-public checking out amenities sooner than your discuss with. Beneath are one of the crucial non-public suppliers nonetheless providing COVID-19 checking out within the Bay Space:

Author: OpenAI