Today marks the first day 100% free COVID testing is available in my area (Washington), as a one time event.
Anyone else’s state doing something similar?
We have free testing at many locations in Tucson. Walgreens, CVS, and most urgent care clinics. Free with or without insurance if you qualify under a federal testing program.
A friend who is a government worker gets tested every week. Her insurance paid for 1 test, the state paid for another and the rest are all free or she wouldn’t do it.
She isn’t at risk of exposure at work, but if she tests positive, she will have to stay home with COVID pay for 2 weeks.
Most of her free tests have been in the Prescott Valley area, but she had a few in Phoenix.
Not that you’re asking, but in most of Australia, it’s free if you think you might have COVID. The only people who are paying are employers who want to test all staff all the time, on company time, at company locations. That is, football clubs, mining companies etc.
An exception is the state Western Australia, where, for some reason, asymptomatic testing of not-at-risk people is against the law.
In Maryland, there have been free drive-up testing centers open since July. The one near me is open Mon - Fri 10 am - 6pm, iirc. You get your results in about a week.
New York City offers free testing at a number of sites around the city. It’s free, although if one does have insurance that will pay for testing, they’re happy to take it.
I go every week. They usually have the results in four days. At most, five. So far, anyway. I don’t know how turnaround time will be affected if more people start getting tested.