More free covid tests by mail

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

We were told by our doctor to throw away the ones we got last winter as the validity was compromised by the cold temperatures. Local health departments and libraries now allow free test pickup to avoid that issue.

Heat is an issue too though so it all depends in how and where they are distributed to from the facilities to the health departments and libraries and how they then store it. There's a min and a max temperature and no one is in control of how they are handled while in transit which was just as much of an issue last winter as it was USPS delivering them.

The control line though is something to keep an eye on to make sure it still shows up.

 

[elgerber]

Roche brand is the only one I've gotten with 4 in a box personally and that was from the government. I have to read the instructions everytime of the various brands because I can never keep track of what to do lol. Some are 3 drops others 6 drops, then card ones like BinaxNow, etc.

I've had iHealth ones where the liquid vial is all ready to go but then the iHealth ones I got from my county for free you had to fill the vial yourself and that was trickier than it sounds.

Yeah our last ones from the govt were iHealth, and filling that stupid little vial was ridiculous. The ones I just got have a prefilled, vial, brand, is Clinitest (incidentally made by Siemens for all you Spaceship Earth fans LOL)

 

[Donnainnj]

When we went to pick up my son's prescription yesterday at CVS the pharmacist asked if we wanted to check if we qualify for free tests. We got new ones just before they stopped the mail program so I said no. I wonder if this is the way some insurance companies are working it.

 

[lanejudy]

When we went to pick up my son's prescription yesterday at CVS the pharmacist asked if we wanted to check if we qualify for free tests. We got new ones just before they stopped the mail program so I said no. I wonder if this is the way some insurance companies are working it.

All US health insurance companies are mandated to allow for up to 8 tests per person per month; that's been in place since at least last winter. How they distribute those test varies by insurance -- some require mail order, some at a specified local pharmacy, some you pay upfront and get reimbursed, some have even automatically mailed them out.

 

[lanejudy]

Yeah our last ones from the govt were iHealth, and filling that stupid little vial was ridiculous. The ones I just got have a prefilled, vial, brand, is Clinitest (incidentally made by Siemens for all you Spaceship Earth fans LOL)

Our first kit from the gov't was Clinitest and it was a 5-pack. I remember it surprised me so much because the gov't was giving out 4 tests per household at the time and the 5-pack seemed like a bonus. Our others from the gov't were iHealth -- and yes those little vials are a pain. I prefer the BinaxNow test kits if given a choice.