Here’s how to get free at-home COVID-19 tests from USPS
Now that fall temperatures are here, it’s a good time to think about protecting against COVID-19. You may want to consider getting updated COVID vaccines, including the new Novavax vaccine. And if you’re looking to keep some testing kits on hand, you’re in luck: The federal government has started sending out at-home COVID tests again.
Using the COVIDTests.gov website, American households can again order four free at-home COVID test kits. The government opened the ordering system on September 26.
In addition to the USPS free testing, there are still a number of different ways to test for COVID-19 for free. Read on to find out how you can still get free COVID tests, and how to get free COVID treatments.
To learn more, learn about the best time to get a flu shot and how to determine 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.gova 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, another four in December 2022, and four more in September 2023. This new round of shipping also includes four COVID tests to start. It is not certain whether another round of free testing will take place this winter.
Unlike some complicated government applications, ordering free tests from the Postal Service is simple. It takes less than 2 minutes to fill out a short form that asks for your name and mailing address, and the tests will be shipped in about a week or two. People without internet access or those who have trouble ordering online can request tests via a toll-free phone number: 800-232-0233
It’s not clear exactly how long the free COVID-19 testing will last, 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 for free at home Testingwhich takes 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 do not need to provide credit or debit card details; the tests and shipping are free.
All orders are shipped via First Class Package Service. People who do not have access to the website or have difficulty ordering online should be able to call 800-232-0233 to order their free tests.
When will my COVID tests arrive?
In the past, free COVID tests from USPS arrived about two weeks after ordering. The tests are typically shipped within seven to 12 days and delivered by USPS within one to three days of shipment.
What are my other free COVID-19 testing options?
In addition to the Postal Service’s program to send free COVID tests, there are five main ways to find free COVID-19 testing locations in the US: HRSA Health Centers, Test to Treat Locations, ICATT Testing Locations, Private Health Insurance, and Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program. These options work the same way, but we’ll outline the specific steps to find the nearest free testing location.
HRSA health centers are offering free COVID-19 testing
HRSA health centers are offering free COVID-19 testing.
The Management of health resources and services funds health centers in the US. You can get free COVID-19 tests at these HRSA health centers. You can use HRSA’s localization tool to find a center near you.
First select the language in which you want to receive your results. Then simply enter the location you want to search in the box labeled 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 find a center that works for you, click through to that specific location’s website and follow their specific instructions for obtaining a free COVID-19 test.
Test to Treat locations have COVID tests and medications
The Test to Treat program makes COVID tests and therapies more accessible.
Test to treat is a federally funded health care initiative that provides more accessible COVID-19 care. This option is different from the others in this article because you can use the Test to Treat centers to receive both COVID tests and treatment for infections. Like the other free COVID-19 testing options, Test to Treat has a search tool to help you find an eligible Test to Treat center near you.
The Test to Treat center locator works just like the other COVID test search tools. Enter your location in the search bar and the tool will display Test to Treat locations near you. A slider bar allows you to adjust the search radius to capture all Test to Treat centers in your region.
In the Test to Treat locator results, you can see the address of each location, what COVID-19 therapies they offer, and any other special instructions you may need to know to get tested. If there is no option to schedule a COVID test online through your chosen site, you may need to call.
Increasing community access to testing will help provide COVID testing for the uninsured
ICATT is offering free testing for uninsured patients showing symptoms of COVID-19 or who have been recently exposed.
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 is specifically intended for uninsured patients who have been exposed to COVID-19 or are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19. Anyone can get an ICATT test at any of the program’s locations, regardless of insurance status. If you are uninsured and would like to be tested at an ICATT eligible location, you will not have to pay for your test. If you are insured, you may have to pay a fee.
The ICATT location tool works just like the other free COVID testing search tools: enter your address or zip code to find ICATT locations near you. There is a search radius adjustment in this viewfinder that allows you to customize your searches to capture the entire area you want to search.
Once you find a location, follow your testing location’s steps to schedule your appointment.
What about free COVID testing from health insurance, Medicare or Medicaid?
On January 10, 2022 President Joe Biden announced this that all health insurers would be legally obliged to offer their customers eight free COVID-19 tests per month. That requirement expired when the COVID-19 national public health emergency ended on May 11, 2023.
California law still requires all healthcare providers to offer their clients eight free at-home COVID-19 tests per month. Outside of that state, you should check with your own health insurance policy to determine its coverage policy for over-the-counter COVID testing.
Medicare generally does not pay for over-the-counter products such as COVID-19 test kits, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. 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 tests,” such as polymerase chain reaction tests, but you will not 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 testing through September 30, 2024.
To learn more, read about how your blood type can make you more susceptible to COVID.
