How Do I Get a Free COVID Test

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You can order free COVID-19 tests for delivery to your home. Beginning in September 2024, every U.S. household is entitled to four COVID test kits that provide rapid results in 30 minutes or less. These kits are also known as self-tests or over the counter (OTC) COVID-19 diagnostic tests. The FDA reports that these tests can detect current variants and can be used through the end of the year.

You may be eligible for free in-person COVID testing at certain healthcare locations if it's fully covered by your insurance. You may also have the option to buy COVID self-tests with an OTC benefits debit card provided by your insurance plan that covers your kits in full.

How do I get a free COVID test?

Visit covidtests.gov to order four free self-test kits for your household. You can go directly to this online form to enter your information. If you need help or prefer to order by phone, call 800-232-0233 for assistance in English, Spanish, or more than 150 other languages.

Your tests will be delivered free of charge by the U.S. Postal Service. The kits are available for residential addresses in every state, Washington, D.C., and U.S. territories.

You can have the kits sent to any home address, including:

• A physical address

• A post office box registered as a residential P.O. box

• Overseas military and diplomatic addresses (APO/FPO/DPO)

Also, only one order for four kits can be made per address regardless of how many people live in the household. You can receive order confirmation and tracking information about your tests if you provide an email address.

Available kits include accessible tests for people with disabilities that affect vision and dexterity.

Other than home delivery, where else can I get a free COVID test?

You may be able to find free COVID testing if you don't have insurance or full vaccine coverage with your plan and have symptoms or were exposed to the virus. Use the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's COVID testing locator to find a facility that can help you at no cost.

Free COVID tests may be able available at:

• Community health centers

• Health organizations serving tribal communities

• Libraries

• Local health departments

• Long-term care facilities

• Schools

If you have a disability, the Disability Information and Access Line at 888-677-1199 can help you access a free COVID self-test or find a testing location.

Some testing locations also provide COVID treatment. You can find those facilities using the test-to-treat filter with this treatment locator.

We will discuss accessing free COVID tests with your health insurance coverage in the next section.

Will insurance cover COVID testing?

The end of the COVID public health emergency on May 11, 2023, changed how COVID vaccines, tests, and other services are covered by insurance as well as your out-of-pocket costs.

After May 11, 2023, coverage for COVID testing has varied based on your health plan. COVID testing by an in-network healthcare professional may be covered, but a self-test may not. Some plans cover COVID tests given by a healthcare professional with cost sharing, which means you must meet your deductible and may be charged a copay or coinsurance.

You may have no out-of-pocket costs when you request an in-person test ordered and performed by a pharmacist with rapid results or analysis by a lab that's covered by your health plan. Medicare Part B covers COVID tests processed in a lab without cost sharing if they're ordered and administered by a healthcare professional who accepts Medicare.

Medicaid programs nationwide covered free OTC and lab tests through September 30, 2024. Now coverage varies by state and territory.

Your health insurance plan may cover self-tests:

• By reimbursing you for what you spend on purchases

• Through digital platforms that let you order the kits online at no charge

• When you present your insurance card at the pharmacy counter without paying up front

If I can't find free testing, where can I buy a COVID test?

You can buy COVID self-tests at pharmacies and other retailers in person and online. You can purchase an in-person test ordered and performed by a pharmacist with rapid results or analysis by a lab. You can also find in-person testing at medical facilities with results processed by a laboratory, and you will receive a bill as a cash-paying customer.

Extended expiration dates

Your test may have an expiration date that is near or past, but the FDA has extended those dates because data has shown that the tests will perform accurately beyond what was known when their shelf lives were determined. You can check the FDA list of extended expiration dates to make sure you can still use your test.

Can I use tax-advantaged healthcare funds to pay for COVID tests?

The cost of COVID self-testing is an eligible medical expense that can be paid for or reimbursed by tax-advantage healthcare funds. These include:

• Flexible spending account

• Health reimbursement arrangement

• Health savings account

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