Costco has started selling COVID-19 PCR tests for $129.99. The tests are provided by AZOVA and results are provided within 24-72 hours. More and more travel destinations (e.g Hawaii) are require a negative PCR test to avoid mandatory quarantine periods (although it doesn’t seem like this will qualify for Hawaii).
Hat tip to VFTW
The costco Azova home covid test CAN be used to travel to Hawaii. ONLY if you purchase the more expensive one that includes video observation of you taking the test. I traveled to Hawaii in December and used this test. But you must purchase the correct one.
Any good costco membership deals?
Right now in urgent care they were charging me 199 dollars for the test just because I said it was to travel it is absurd the first time I did not pay anything because I have medicaid I think people take advantage of it is an emergency my trip is not for pleasure
The test is free to anyone including uninsured, isn’t it? I took it at CVS. It took an hour and a half for the test and 3 days for the result. It wasn’t bad.
https://www.hhs.gov/coronavirus/community-based-testing-sites/index.html
Can these be used on pets, since the virus is zootonic and all?
HI is a dumpster fire with COVID testing hiccups, if you have an issues with COVID test and additional verification is needed.
Better have a test that is negative in hand before boarding the plane. You can spend days in quarantine, even after you have negative test results that you submitted.
https://www.staradvertiser.com/2020/10/23/hawaii-news/backlog-in-the-states-manual-covid-19-test-verification-process-sends-thousands-of-hawaii-travelers-to-quarantine/
Why pay out of pocket for a test that’s covered by health insurance.
Not everyone has health insurance. Plus the “public” options take a long time to process. I got a test last week Tuesday, waited in line for almost two hours and still don’t have the results.
Went to dodgers stadium, got a test in 30 min, results 20 hours later. All for free for all LA county residents, regardless if you have insurance or not.
Google CVS Covid testing. It is free for all, at least in CA. I have high deductible ins but no charge, I tested in July (-ve). You take online appt, drive thru, they give you a kit thru window after checking ins and ID. Put the swab deep into your both nostrils to get sample, put it inside the bottle, seal it and give it back thru window.
Test came back within 3 days online.
@Abe: Not everyone is employed. Not everyone has insurance. People are losing their jobs left and right.
A kit you can take at home and send in your sample? That’s reliable?!
Pixel by LabCorp is similar concept, had individual eua that was approved by fda, and can be billed to insurance. https://www.pixel.labcorp.com/covid-19
Can confirm. Just did this Thursday and received results last night/this morning. Speedy choice and it was free!
A lot of hospitals send their test samples to labs like these commercially available ones.
That’s such a rip-off price. It’s the same as buying as those 2¢ masks for $2 apiece. Kind of disappointed to see Costco partaking in this price gouging, I thought they were supposed to bring you good value?!
$125 for COVID19 test, after all these tests are in abundance, and noone other than some select governments care about it anymore, really?!
Agreed that the price is steep… but in some areas, I’ve noticed in mine, the ability to get a test is limited and even then, the lines are long and the results are taking up to 7 days. Just like having groceries delivered or door dash, convenience has a price.
It’s not price gouging. It takes research, distribution and a laboratory with a quick turn around time to sell and administer tests that can be taken at home. It wasn’t free for the company to create the test.
And Fedex/UPS presumably also collect their share of the revenue.
I got a swab test a couple of months ago. The lab processing cost $100, and the medical provider service fee was $240. (both covered by my insurance). So the Costco price really isn’t outrageous..
It also includes the cost of overnight shipping to a lab – been years since I’ve overnight docs and IIRC that was around d $30+.
It’s not free with your insurance (either you or your employer pay for insurance coverage)
@Dan. It certainly is price gouging. $130 for a simple saliva test (I dont think it’s nasal) is ridiculous. These tests are so ubiquitous these days that the number of tests already manufactured and sold have already covered the cost of the R&D involved.
The price is very much in line with what I’ve seen by some others, only difference here it looks like they won’t submit to insurance.
I work at one of the labs that takes in these samples and runs the analysis.
It’s not so much that there aren’t enough test kits, but rather that the few labs properly equipped or authorized to process these samples are limited and completely fully booked (spoiler alert: the backlog is exploding even more recently).
These test kits cost pennies to manufacture, but we get shipments from all over the nation.
It’s more than select governments who care. Some US states like Maine require a test or 14 day quarantine prior to mingling with their esteemed population.
Please note, per Hawai’i State’s Department of Health website: “The state of Hawaii will ONLY accept Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAAT) from a certified Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment (CLIA) lab test results from TRUSTED TESTING AND TRAVEL PARTNERS: AFC Urgent Care Portland, Bartell Drugs, Carbon Health, CityHealth Urgent Care, Clinical Laboratories of Hawaii, Color, CVS Health, Diagnostic Laboratory Services, Discovery Health MD, Hawaii Pacific Health, Kaiser Permanente, Minit Medical, Quest Diagnostics, Urgent Care Hawaii, Vault Health and Walgreens (as of 10/21/20).” (https://hawaiicovid19.com/travel-partners/)
So, not sure these Costco test results will be accepted by Hawaii at least for entry. The tests themselves seem to be accurate (if the 98%/99% sensitivity/specificity numbers listed on Azova’s website are valid).
In home test/collect is for one’s own reference, the result should not be used/accepted by anywhere; otherwise people can cheat like not swabbing correctly
FYI: PCR test is a type of NAAT.