In November, he booked an appointment at a National City site run by the county. Shavinder Chima tried to get tested for free, but it didn’t go as planned. “If people feel there’s a financial barrier to getting tested, then we’re just not going to ever be able to get a handle on the spread to the remaining people in the population who are not yet vaccinated,” Fuse Brown said.
More than 4.7 million COVID-19 tests have been conducted in San Diego County during the pandemic, including roughly 100,000 in the past week.īut testing rates have fallen dramatically since the height of the pandemic this winter, making it more difficult for public health officials to monitor infection levels, the success of vaccination efforts and the rise of new COVID-19 variants. “They may think twice about getting the COVID test, and they also may just put it off and never get one.”įuse Brown reviewed the survey results at inewsource’s request and was not involved in the data collection. “The sticker shock and the barrier that might present to people, I think could be significant,” said Erin Fuse Brown, an associate law professor at Georgia State University who studies healthcare costs. Healthcare experts said the high prices revealed by the survey might discourage people from seeking tests. At the time of the survey, six county providers typically charged customers more than $100 for a standard PCR test, 10 did for a rushed or rapid PCR test and 13 for a rapid antigen test - a less reliable option but one that offers results in minutes. The nonprofit recently began accepting insurance and now offers some tests for free, though its rapid PCR test could still cost customers up to $399.Ĭovid Clinic isn’t the only provider charging triple-digit prices. “We do need to charge money because this is very expensive to run, but in the end we’re just trying to help as many people as we can.” “We’re just trying to help,” Collins said. Matthew Collins, Covid Clinic’s CEO, said its prices are higher than average because of the many expenses associated with starting a new business. Zoë Meyers Carmen Lucci is shown outside of the restaurant he works at as a waiter in Del Mar, May 4, 2021. The survey was conducted by Clear Health Costs, an industry leader in healthcare pricing research that interviewed employees at San Diego County testing sites in February and March. It also found seven providers were charging patients for medical visits or processing fees even when the tests were covered by insurance. The survey of 50 local testing providers found almost half didn’t accept insurance in some or all cases, instead placing the burden on customers to pay upfront and then ask their insurance companies to reimburse them. Yet a survey commissioned by inewsource shows many local providers are charging hundreds of dollars that consumers must pay upfront.
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Under federal law, insurance companies are required to pay the full cost of COVID-19 tests in most cases.
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“I feel like it should be free to do this.” “They’re taking advantage of a bad situation,” Lucci said. He estimates it took him three or four days of work to earn the money back. 20.Lucci spent $195 on a rapid test at Covid Clinic, a startup from Orange County that now operates in 10 states. 24, and students and staff must have gotten both doses by Dec. San Diego Unified’s board has mandated that students age 16 and older and staff must be fully vaccinated. “It is our best chance to keep other students safe and staff safe, to be able to identify infection, find it early and be able to notify people,” Barndollar said. Even so, Barndollar said, testing is still important because the Omicron variant spreads and breakthrough cases are still emerging among vaccinated people.
So far the district has recorded five outbreaks, which is when there are three or more confirmed COVID cases at one school among people who live in different households within a two-week period.ĬOVID vaccinations have been extended to all children in K-12 schools as young as 5 years old. Testing participation is low partly because many students and staff are vaccinated, and the district has advised that vaccinated individuals don’t have to test regularly for COVID, Barndollar said.Ībout 38,200 students have opted in for weekly school COVID testing, according to a district spokesperson. The district has about 97,000 students and 14,000 staff at more than 170 schools. Of those, 29 tests, or 0.1 percent, came back positive. 5, the latest week for which testing data is available. San Diego Unified tested 26,274 people during the week of Dec. San Diego Unified has been offering COVID testing once a week at every school, and the district offers testing at its central office at 4100 Normal Street seven days a week, Barndollar said.
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