The federal plan for residents to order as many as four free at-home COVID-19 tests per month got started early.
The federal government is directing people wanting free tests to www.covidtests.gov. Initially, the plan was to start Wednesday, but the website opened up Tuesday afternoon.
Residents do not need to enter credit card numbers to get the tests delivered and there are no shipping costs to residents as part of this effort, but they need to order through the website.
The Biden administration is buying 500 million test kits to be delivered through the US Postal Service. Another 500 million at-home test kits could be ordered later.
This step may well help those without health insurance. Private insurance companies have been told they need to reimburse the costs of up to eight rapid at-home tests per month if purchased by residents starting this past weekend. Residents will need to bear the costs of any rapid at-home tests bought before Jan. 15.
The next step in this process for the Biden administration is offering free N95 masks. The federal government is buying 400 million of the highly protective masks, which the government says will be available at thousands of pharmacies and community health centers at no cost to residents. Masks could be available by the end of next week, with the program fully operational by early next month.
8:45 am Tuesday: Ordering of free at-home tests to begin Wednesday
Starting Wednesday, residents can order as many as four free at-home COVID-19 tests.
The federal government is directing people wanting free tests to www.covidtests.gov. Residents do not need to enter credit card numbers to get the tests delivered and there are no shipping costs to residents as part of this effort, but they need to order through the website.
The Biden administration is buying 500 million test kits to be delivered through the US Postal Service. Another 500 million at-home test kits could be ordered later.
This step may well help those without health insurance. Private insurance companies have been told they need to reimburse the costs of up to eight rapid at-home tests per month if purchased by residents starting this past weekend. Residents will need to bear the costs of any rapid at-home tests bought before Jan. 15.
