September 14, 2023 – For Becky Robertson of Dallas, COVID-19 testing is taking a toll on her wallet as the federal government and her insurance policies no longer cover the costs. She said she pays about $30 per test to protect herself and her family. In fact, it has become so expensive that instead of testing, if they or a family member shows symptoms, they can quarantine at home rather than spend more money to know for sure.
And she’s not the only one. Katie Cameron, a recently laid-off journalist from Edison, NJ, said she too was struggling with the rising costs of COVID testing. Her husband is a medical student who constantly struggles with a sore throat and other symptoms while running around the hospital. Due to his exposure, they both regularly test themselves to protect those around them.
For example, if one of her close friends has a new baby, she likes to test it before visiting as a precaution. Still, Camero said, “it becomes very expensive to be thoughtful.”
With the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency in sight 11 May, the federalThe government will no longer cover the costs of COVID PCR and antigen tests. But it’s worth noting that at-home antigen testing will still be covered through Medicaid through 2024. Medicare covers free COVID testing if ordered by a doctor, including PCR and antigen tests done at a doctor’s office or hospital, but not for tests. At home.
During the public health emergency, the tests had to be covered by insurance so they were free of charge for insured patients. But since then, coverage decisions have gone back to the states, employers or insurance companies. “Those with private insurance are finding that COVID testing is now similar to flu testing in terms of cost,” he says Christina SilcoxPhD, policy fellow at the Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy in Washington, DC.
This comes after a rise in cases and hospital admissions. COVID hospitalizations have increased nationally 9% for the week ending September 2 and COVID deaths increased 10%, according to the CDC. And there‘It’s a bigger concern than us‘The true size of the increase is not yet known, as the costs could lead some to skip testing, meaning people who don’t‘If they don’t know they have an infection, they are less likely to take rigorous precautions to stop its spread.
“When you add costs to COVID depletion, you increase the incentive to not test at all,” Silcox said.
While the data doesn’t yet tell us whether cost is stopping people from getting tested, it’s likely a factor that could also mean we’re not collecting enough information about the virus. Rajeev FernandoMD, infectious disease expert and fellow at Harvard Medical Schoolis concerned that we‘We no longer collect accurate data on infections, both to fully understand the level of a wave and to spot mutations in infections that could lead to new treatments and updated vaccinations.
“Over there‘There has been a significant decline in biosurveillance worldwide,” he said. “Countries used to report new variants to the World Health Organization, and now we do‘I just don’t see it.”
But Fernando notes that the US CDC does have its own policies National Wastewater Monitoring System which monitors levels of SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) in wastewater, and those numbers are currently tracking the increases we’re seeing in hospitals.
Anyway‘It’s important to put data about the recent surge into context, he said. Although the CDC reports that there is a surge, that is compared to a historically low number of infections. For example, in January 2022, the US was close 146,000 hospital admissions, compared to current numbers of around 6,500.
“It’s a high rate of increase over a very low number of COVID cases,” Fernando said. The severity of the disease is likely significantly lower because about 95% of Americans have some level of immunity, either from vaccination or infection, he said.
Other experts worry that those who don’t test will delay treatment, which could impact care. Many COVID treatments known to be most effective including Paxlovid and metformin, should be administered within the first week of infection. Paxlovid is an antiviral pill shown to reduce the risk of hospital admissions by 89% in people at high risk, and metformin It has been shown to reduce the risk of long-term COVID-19 due to acute infection by 41%. For those who don’t‘If they don’t know they have COVID, symptoms can end up getting much worse before they seek treatment.
“It‘It is foolish for insurance companies not to cover the cost of testing because they will end up paying for many more days in intensive care,” he said. Grace McComsey, MDwho is leading the long COVID RECOVER study at University Hospitals Health System in Cleveland.
For those who don’t test or seek treatment, a mild infection can still lead to long COVID, which McComsey says is a much bigger threat to many patients than an acute infection. According to the CDC, 7.5% of Americans Already have long-term COVID symptoms, including intense fatigue, chronic pain, shortness of breath, and chest pain that lasts three or more months after you first contract an infection.
Both at home and around the world, and even with the added costs, it’s still important to test, Silcox said. Those who cannot afford testing at home can still find free testing at a community health center, public health department, libraries or other local organizations. You can also buy tests in advance, before you get sick; use of drugstore coupons; or you can buy them online or in bulk for a lower price. The CDC also has one Free COVID Test Finder on its website.
“If you get them before you get sick, you’re not at the mercy of retail prices,” Silcox says.
And if you don’t test, be sure to quarantine if you feel symptoms and remember that at-home tests are not perfect. “You can be infected for a day or two before they become positive,” Silcox says. So if you interact with elderly or immunocompromised individuals, don’t underestimate the power of a high-quality mask: they’re cheaper and they save lives.