Latest news with #AdministrationforStrategicPreparednessandResponse
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Free COVID tests no longer available through this government site: How to get a test
Five years after COVID-19 was declared an official pandemic, the U.S. government has suspended its free at-home COVID test distribution program. The Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, shut down ordering via Sunday, posting a notice that says, "The free at-home COVID-19 test distribution program is not currently accepting orders." Orders placed before 8 p.m. ET Sunday, March 9, 2025, will still be shipped, said the notice. The USPS website for ordering likewise said that "ordering through this program has been suspended effective March 9, 2025." Before that time, American households were able to place orders through the website for free at-home COVID tests, which were then shipped for no cost through the U.S. Postal Service. Ordering via the website has been closed and re-opened periodically since it was launched in late 2021, usually with renewed eligibilities. It was previously suspended in March 2024 before re-opening with the four free tests per household offer in September. The USPS landing page for the program points back to for more information on other free COVID-19 testing options. However, the government website simply advises on where to purchase tests, saying "At-home COVID-19 tests are sold at pharmacies, grocery stores and many other retailers nationwide." The agency did not indicate whether the suspension is permanent or temporary as with past closures. The HSS did not immediately respond to request for comment. The news comes less than a month after the Washington Post reported that the Trump administration had reversed a decision to shut down the program and potentially dispose of or destroy 160 million, or more than half a billion dollars worth, of mostly unexpired tests. The initiative was originally supposed to be shuttered on Feb. 18 but just minutes before the site was set to go dark, Human Services spokesman Andrew Nixon issued a statement saying it would remain open for the time being. He also told the newspaper that unexpired stockpiled tests would not be destroyed. 'With COVID-19 infections decreasing after a winter peak, we are in the process of regular discussions on closing this round of the COVID-19 test ordering program. At this point, the program is still open, and we will share additional updates as needed,' the statement sent to the Post said. The ASPR, in partnership with USPS, had sent more than 900 million tests directly to U.S. households via by Oct. 2024, according to a USPS release from that time. Millions more were distributed to community centers including nursing homes, libraries, local health departments and food banks. COVID antigen tests generally cost between $12-$35 dollars for a pack of two at pharmacies and retail locations, though the price can be even higher. PCR testing done by a medical professional can cost much more, depending on your insurance coverage. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is still offering free testing for uninsured adults who have symptoms of or have been exposed to COVID through the Increasing Community Access to Testing, Treatment and Response (ICATT) program. Around 10,000 ICATT sites nationwide continue to offer testing and disease surveillance in non-emergency situations to uninsured people and more than 19,000 are offering no-cost COVID-19 vaccines under the CDC Bridge Access program. A list of free COVID-19 testing sites can be found on the COVID-19 Testing Locator website. Locations offering free vaccines can be found at Some insurance plans also cover the full cost of COVID-19 tests. You can check your eligibility and order these insurance-covered tests through pharmacies like Walgreens and CVS. Your state, county or city health department may also have free or low-cost testing sites operating out of community locations like churches, rec centers and schools. Check your local departments' websites and social media channels or give them a call to ask about accessible testing options. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: US suspends free COVID test program: Where to get one for free
CNN
10-03-2025
- Health
- CNN
Federal government no longer accepting orders for free Covid-19 tests
The federal government program that provides free at-home Covid-19 tests says it is 'not currently accepting orders,' according to the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response website. It's not clear whether the program has shut down permanently. The US Department of Health and Human Services has not responded to CNN's questions about why the program is no longer taking orders. The testing website says orders placed before 8 p.m. ET Sunday, March 9, will still be shipped. Home tests are also sold at grocery stores and pharmacies. Ordering on has been suspended off and on since it started in the winter of 2021. Last year, the Biden administration stopped the program as virus numbers fell in the spring but restarted it last fall ahead of the respiratory virus season. The coronavirus is still making people sick in the United States, but the number of cases has been falling. As of March 1, the number of people testing positive for Covid is down slightly from the week before, with nearly 4% of those who take a test showing up as positive, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Hospitalizations and deaths are also down slightly from the week before, according to the CDC. The US Food and Drug Administration recommends that people who have Covid-like symptoms test repeatedly to determine whether they have the virus. Prices for tests can range from $10 to $35 each. Some insurance plans may cover the tests, and local health programs sometimes offer free tests. Last March, ASPR said it had delivered over 1.8 billion free Covid-19 tests through its website.
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Free At-Home COVID-19 Test Program Suspended (Again)
The program that sent Americans free at-home COVID-19 tests is no longer accepting orders five years after the pandemic started. 'The free at-home COVID-19 test distribution program is not currently accepting orders,' the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response website said. 'Tests ordered before 8:00 PM EDT, Sunday, March 9, 2025, will be shipped,' it continued. The United States Postal Service, which shipped the tests for free, also indicated that the program was suspended on its website. 'This program is not currently accepting orders for free at-home COVID-19 tests,' it said. 'Test ordering through this program has been suspended effective March 9, 2025.' The Trump administration, which has largely sought to cut government spending, previously planned to stop the program in February before reversing course in an eleventh-hour decision, The Washington Post reported. 'With COVID-19 infections decreasing after a winter peak, we are in the process of regular discussions on closing this round of the COVID-19 test ordering program. At this point, the program is still open, and we will share additional updates as needed,' Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson Andrew Nixon said last month, according to the Post. The program has stopped and restarted on multiple occasions. Most recently, it was paused in March 2024 before it began again in September 2024. However, this time may be different, as the administration had also been weighing the disposal of more than 160 million test kits to save costs, according to the Post. At this point, it's unclear what will happen with the remaining kits. The suspension of the free program, which allowed households to order four test kits at no cost, comes roughly three years after its start in January 2022. According to more than 900 million free COVID tests were sent out across the country. The federal government once required insurers to cover the cost of COVID tests for patients, but that has not been the case since the COVID-19 public health emergency expired in May 2023. Some plans still allow patients to get free COVID tests covered by insurance. Otherwise, the tests are still available for purchase over the counter. The expiration dates of some COVID test kits have been extended, according to the Federal Drug Administration. As such, households with expired COVID test kits should check the FDA website to see if the listed expiration date has been extended before disposing of any test kits. ASPR did not immediately respond to HuffPost's request for comment. The Most Common COVID Symptoms Doctors Are Seeing Right Now New Trump Order Pulls Funding From Schools With COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates Biden's Legacy: Rescuing America From COVID, Then Getting Replaced By A Criminal CIA Says COVID Likely Originated From A Lab, But Agency Has 'Low Confidence' In Finding
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Federal government no longer accepting orders for free Covid-19 tests
The federal government program that provides free at-home Covid-19 tests says it is 'not currently accepting orders,' according to the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response website. It's not clear whether the program has shut down permanently. The US Department of Health and Human Services has not responded to CNN's questions about why the program is no longer taking orders. The testing website says orders placed before 8 p.m. ET Sunday, March 9, will still be shipped. Home tests are also sold at grocery stores and pharmacies. Ordering on has been suspended off and on since it started in the winter of 2021. Last year, the Biden administration stopped the program as virus numbers fell in the spring but restarted it last fall ahead of the respiratory virus season. The coronavirus is still making people sick in the United States, but the number of cases has been falling. As of March 1, the number of people testing positive for Covid is down slightly from the week before, with nearly 4% of those who take a test showing up as positive, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Hospitalizations and deaths are also down slightly from the week before, according to the CDC. The US Food and Drug Administration recommends that people who have Covid-like symptoms test repeatedly to determine whether they have the virus. Prices for tests can range from $10 to $35 each. Some insurance plans may cover the tests, and local health programs sometimes offer free tests. Last March, ASPR said it had delivered over 1.8 billion free Covid-19 tests through its website.
CNN
10-03-2025
- Health
- CNN
Federal government no longer accepting orders for free Covid-19 tests
The federal government program that provides free at-home Covid-19 tests says it is 'not currently accepting orders,' according to the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response website. It's not clear whether the program has shut down permanently. The US Department of Health and Human Services has not responded to CNN's questions about why the program is no longer taking orders. The testing website says orders placed before 8 p.m. ET Sunday, March 9, will still be shipped. Home tests are also sold at grocery stores and pharmacies. Ordering on has been suspended off and on since it started in the winter of 2021. Last year, the Biden administration stopped the program as virus numbers fell in the spring but restarted it last fall ahead of the respiratory virus season. The coronavirus is still making people sick in the United States, but the number of cases has been falling. As of March 1, the number of people testing positive for Covid is down slightly from the week before, with nearly 4% of those who take a test showing up as positive, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Hospitalizations and deaths are also down slightly from the week before, according to the CDC. The US Food and Drug Administration recommends that people who have Covid-like symptoms test repeatedly to determine whether they have the virus. Prices for tests can range from $10 to $35 each. Some insurance plans may cover the tests, and local health programs sometimes offer free tests. Last March, ASPR said it had delivered over 1.8 billion free Covid-19 tests through its website.
