You can now order four free at-home COVID tests from the federal government, regardless of whether you have health insurance. A new website, covidtests.gov, went live on Tuesday, Jan. 18, one day ahead of schedule.

The website allows every home in the U.S. to order four free rapid antigen tests that deliver results in 30 minutes. PCR tests aren’t available. Tests are expected to ship within seven to 12 days, according to the website.

How to Get 4 Free COVID Tests

Signing up for your free tests is incredibly simple. All you need to do is go to covidtests.gov and provide your name and address, plus an email address if you want shipping notifications. And that’s it.

The U.S. Postal Service will deliver the tests. Currently, the website limits you to four free tests for each residential address, no matter how many household members you have.

Technically as of Tuesday, the website was in beta mode, which means it’s being tested for possible hiccups. Though there have been concerns that the website could crash upon launch due to high demand for tests, the site appeared to be functioning early Tuesday afternoon. A staff writer for The Penny Hoarder placed an order for testing kits without issue.

A health worker grabs two at-home COVID tests

What About the 8 Free Tests Insurers Have to Provide?

As of Jan. 15, health insurance companies are required to pay for eight home tests per month for each person covered by the plan. However, many people are still finding that they need to pay out of pocket for the tests and submit a receipt for reimbursement.

You can access four free tests for your household using the federal government’s website regardless of whether you have health insurance. The website doesn’t ask for insurance information, and no upfront payment is required. For now, the four free tests are a one-time only offer.

What if I Can’t Wait for My Test?

The earliest you can expect to receive your test through the federal website is late January. If you need a test before then and you have private insurance, you can pay for a home test and then get reimbursed for any upfront payment. The challenge, of course, is finding a home testing kit.

You can also access free and low-cost tests through a community testing center. To find a site, use HHS.gov’s testing center locator.

Robin Hartill is a certified financial planner and a senior writer at The Penny Hoarder. She writes the Dear Penny personal finance advice column. Send your tricky money questions to AskPenny@thepennyhoarder.com.

This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.



source https://www.thepennyhoarder.com/save-money/get-4-home-covid-tests-free-no-insurance-required/?aff_id=178&aff_sub3=MainFeed__save-money/get-4-home-covid-tests-free-no-insurance-required/

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

These Coconut Oil Uses Are for the Kitchen, Bathroom and Beyond

Image
I first discovered coconut oil several years ago when a health-focused grocery store opened in my neighborhood.  While I originally bought it for cooking, I quickly found many ways I could use it around the house. Now, I use so much that I invest in giant vats from Costco to save money; an 84-ounce tub costs $15.99 and typically lasts me four to six months. If you’re new to coconut oil, you’ll be surprised at just how adaptable this once-unknown ingredient can be. Ways to Use Coconut Oil That You Probably Haven’t Thought Of In the Kitchen The first use you probably think of for coconut oil is cooking. I most often find Indian recipes that call for this oil, but I’ve used it in a variety of dishes ranging from curries and stir-fries to granola and muffins. There’s some controversy surrounding the consumption of coconut oil because of its high saturated fat content. According to Harvard Medical School , coconut oil has more saturated fat than butter or lard — about 90%. Satu...
Read more

29 Road Trip Tips for a Fun and Frugal Vacation

Image
Cruising down the open road is a great way to get away from it all. Planning a road trip can be a cost-effective way to travel too — that is, if you do it right. The costs you’ll encounter on a road trip tend to sneak up on you, unlike the upfront sticker shock of a plane ticket. But no worries — there’s a lot you can do to save money on a road trip. 29 Cost-Saving Road Trip Tips 1. Consider Road Tripping With a Friend or Two Traveling solo has its benefits, like not putting up with someone else’s music for hours on end. But taking a road trip with others means you’ll have someone to split the costs of expenses like gas and lodging. You can literally cut your costs in half by road tripping with a friend. It’ll also make the long distance driving more bearable. Just make sure it’s someone you can tolerate being cooped up with for a long period of time. Also, discuss expectations for the road trip ahead of time so you’re both on the same page. You don’t want to wait until you’re o...
Read more

Credit Sesame Can Help Homebuyers Fix This Problem Before It Happens

Some of the links in this post are from our sponsors. We provide you with accurate, reliable information. Learn more about how we make money and select our advertising partners . If you’ve ever searched for a home to buy, you know the first step is mortgage pre-approval — and in today’s competitive market, you likely need to have it before you even put in an offer. But if you’re like one-fifth of Americans, an error on your credit report could mean banks could be scared of lending to you and won’t give you a pre-approval. And even if they do, it could be for an absurd loan rate that can cost you tens of thousands of dollars or more by the time you pay off the house — yikes. So if you didn’t see that roadblock coming, your dream house could be someone else’s before you have a chance to fix it. That’s why you need to make sure your credit report card is free of errors and your score is in tip-top shape before you even start Zillow-ing. A free website called Credit Sesame makes it s...
Read more