Get your free at-home COVID-19 tests in time for the holidays

With Thanksgiving (and Friendsgiving) just a few weeks away, you don't want to get sick and miss out on time with your loved ones. Before gathering indoors with all sorts of people this holiday season, consider taking COVID-19 precautions. This means staying up to date on COVID vaccines and testing if symptoms increase.

Luckily, free COVID-19 testing from the federal government can help you with this last part. U.S. households can once again order four free at-home COVID testing kits through the COVIDTests.gov website. The government reopened the ordering system on September 26th.

Beyond free testing from USPS, there are several ways to get free testing for COVID-19. Read on to find out how to continue getting free COVID testing and how to get free COVID treatment.

Learn more about the FDA-approved at-home flu vaccines and how to tell if your symptoms are COVID-19, the flu, or just allergies.

How does the USPS free COVID-19 testing program work?

In January 2022, President Joe Biden announced the launch of CovidTests.gov, a website where households can order four free rapid antigen COVID-19 tests to be sent 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 in September 2023. This new round of delivery also includes four COVID tests. It's not certain whether there will be another round of free testing this winter.

Unlike some complicated government applications, ordering free tests from the Postal Service is easy. Filling out a short form with your name and mailing address takes less than two minutes. Tests should ship in approximately one to two weeks. Those without internet access or those who have difficulty ordering online can request testing by calling toll-free 800-232-0233.

It's not clear exactly how long the free COVID-19 tests are valid, so it's best to place your order as early as possible.

How can I order free tests from USPS?

Visit CovidTests.gov and then click the blue “Read” button. Order at home for free Testswhich will redirect you to the order page. To order your tests, all you need to do is provide your name and address. You can also enter an email address if you would like to receive shipping notifications. You don't need to provide credit or debit card details – testing and shipping are free.

All orders are shipped via First Class Package Service. People who cannot access the website or are having trouble ordering online should be able to call 800-232-0233 to order your free tests.

When are my COVID tests coming?

In the past, free COVID tests from USPS arrived about two weeks after ordering. Tests typically ship within seven to 12 days and are delivered by USPS within one to three days of shipment.

What other free COVID-19 testing options do I have?

Aside from the Postal Service's program to send free COVID tests, you have five main ways to find free COVID-19 testing sites in the U.S.: HRSA health centers, Test-to-Treat sites, ICATT testing sites, private health insurance and Medicaid or the Children's Hospital Health Insurance Program. These options work similarly, but we'll break down the steps to find your nearest free testing location.

HRSA health centers are offering free COVID-19 testing

The Health Resources and Services Administration funds health centers throughout the United States. You can get free COVID-19 testing at these HRSA health centers. You can use HRSA's locator tool to find a center near you.

First, select the language in which you would like to receive your results. Then simply enter the location you want to search in the label field Location. The locator also allows you to expand your search radius so you can see all the options your area has to offer.

Once you've found a center that's right for you, click through to that location's website and follow their specific instructions to get a free COVID-19 test.

Test-to-Treat sites have COVID tests and medications

Test to Treat is a federally funded healthcare initiative that enables more accessible COVID-19 care. This option is different from the others in this article because you can use the Test-to-Treat centers for both COVID testing and infection treatment. Like the other free COVID-19 testing options, Test to Treat has a search tool to help you find a suitable Test to Treat center near you.

The Test-to-Treat Center Locator works like the other COVID testing search tools. Enter your location in the search bar and the tool will display test-to-treat locations near you. Using a sliding bar, you can change the size of the search radius to include all Test-to-Treat centers in your area.

In the Test-to-Treat Locator results, you can see each location's address, the COVID-19 therapeutics they offer, and other special instructions you may need to know to get tested. If the website you choose doesn't have an option to schedule a COVID test online, you may need to call.

Increasing community access to testing makes COVID testing possible for the uninsured

Increasing Community Access to Testing is another free testing program you can use if you need access to free COVID-19 testing. ICATT works a little differently than the other programs on this list.

ICATT specifically targets uninsured patients who have been exposed to COVID-19 or are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19. Anyone can take an ICATT test at one of the program's locations, regardless of insurance status. If you do not have insurance and would like to be tested at an ICATT-authorized location, you do not have to pay for your test. If you have insurance, you may have to pay a fee.

The ICATT Locator tool works the same as the other free COVID testing locator tools – enter your address or your zip code to find ICATT locations near you. There is a search radius adjuster in this locator that allows you to optimize your search to cover the entire area you want to search.

Once you find a location, follow your testing site's steps to schedule an appointment.

How about free COVID testing from health insurance, Medicare or Medicaid?

On January 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. This requirement expired upon the end of the national public health emergency for COVID-19 on May 11, 2023.

California law continues to require all health care providers to offer their customers eight free at-home COVID-19 tests per month. Outside of this state, you will need to check with your own health insurance provider to determine coverage requirements for over-the-counter COVID tests.

According to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Medicare generally does not pay for over-the-counter products such as COVID-19 test kits. Medicare's coverage of at-home COVID testing ended with the public health emergency.

If you are enrolled in Medicare Plan B, you will still have access to “lab-based COVID-19 testing,” such as: B. Polymerase chain reaction tests, but you are not covered for over-the-counter rapid antigen tests. If you have health insurance through Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program, you could have received free at-home COVID testing through September 30, 2024.

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