Order Free COVID Tests From the Post Office Before They're Gone HOW MANY TESTS CAN I ORDER FROM THE WEBSITE? You can also add and manage packages you've shipped using the online dashboard or app. First and foremost, if you have private health insurance, you can get another eight free tests per person per month. Millions of people across the U.S. are awaiting deliveries from the USPS of free at-home COVID tests courtesy of the federal government. In January 2022, President Joe Biden announced the . Note: This blog, originally posted on January 19, 2022, has been updated to include the toll-free telephone numbers to order test kits. On Monday, the White House released a video telling people the website was ready to go again. Demand for test kits soared as the holidays neared and people grew eager to test themselves and their families before traveling and as the omicron variant spread rapidly in just a few weeks to become the dominant strain in the U.S. Bidens promise of 1 billion test kits is in addition to the administrations earlier pledge to send 50 million rapid tests to community health centers across the country. All rights reserved. The United States Postal Service is proud to fulfill its mission of service to the nation by delivering COVID test kits as part of this important public health initiative of the Biden Administration," Postmaster General and CEO Louis DeJoy said in a statement Friday. As part of the Biden administration'sNational COVID-19 Preparedness Plan, the Department of Health and Human Services has providedmillions of free COVID-19 teststo community health centers and Medicare-certified rural health clinics. Shipping Supplies Participants can either receive their eight free tests a month from provider-based pharmacies or be reimbursed by their provider for up to $12 for each test they purchase. In 2022, the US Postal Service delivered millions of free COVID-19 tests -- up to 16 tests per household -- but the program was halted in September last year due to lack of funding. Peter is a writer and editor for the CNET How-To team. Treat a positive as a positive, stay home and isolate for five days. The Postal Service wants to be released from the testing and vaccination requirements issued by OSHA on Nov. 5. All tests will come with detailed instructions. Importantly, given the shipping and process times, Americans will need to request the tests well before they meet federal guidelines for requiring a test. Once an order is shipped, the person who placed the order will receive an email with an estimated delivery date and a number to track the status on usps.com. We wont post off-topic comments, repeated identical comments, or comments that include sales pitches or promotions. CP 000 000 000 US, Registered Mail All tests will come with detailed instructions. While they are packaged differently and may use slightly different procedures, officials said, the test mechanisms of detection and effectiveness are generally the same. So, remember: Please share this information with others and stay connected to stay informed. You only need to give a name and address. USPS reports shipping times of 1-3 days for its first-class package service in the continental United States. 2023 CNET, a Red Ventures company. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends at-home testing when people experience COVID-19 systems including fever, cough, sore throat, respiratory symptoms and muscle aches; five days after a potential COVID-19 exposure; or as part of test-to-stay protocols in schools and workplaces. All orders will be shipped via First Class Package Service. We expect commenters to treat each other and the blog writers with respect. The program began when cases were surging with the omicron variant of the coronavirus and tests were hard to find in stores. Americans without internet access or those who have trouble ordering online can request tests using a toll-free phone number -- 800-232-0233. There are no shipping costs, and you dont have to give a credit card number. The site added four more free tests in March, and then another eight more in May. BothWalgreensandCVSallow customers with insurance cards to order COVID-19 tests for free on their websites. View the information below to learn more about checking the status of your order. To protect your privacy and the privacy of other people, please do not include personal information. Note to Reporters: B-roll and images of the USPS's work to package and ship COVID-19 test kits are available here. Postal Service usps.com/testkits where you can order four rapid tests for your home address. Tests are typically sent out within seven to 12 days of an order being successfully placed and are delivered by the USPS within one to three days of shipping. 2. 1.2-day average to deliver a test kit package from USPS to a home; Over 68 million test kit packages (4 tests per kit) shipped to households across all states, Tribes, territories; each package contains four individual COVID-19 test kits Heres how it works Division of Consumer and Business Education, FTC. The White House estimates the cost of purchasing and distributing the first 500 million tests at about $4 billion. How does the free COVID-19 test program from USPS work? 2023 CNET, a Red Ventures company. Try entering fewer or broader search terms. Click Change Delivery Instructions on the tracking results page to leave your request. All rights reserved. Americans can order more free at-home COVID-19 tests from the U.S. government at COVIDtests.gov to be shipped to their homes, the White House said on Monday. You can then track your order with your tracking number. Try calling the helpline at 1-800-232-0233 (TTY 1-888-720-7489). It's official: Get free COVID test kits at COVIDtests.gov COVID-19 Tests: How to Get Free At-Home Kits in the Mail That means a family of four gets 32 free tests monthly. Note that for the third round, you'll receive two packages that'll likely arrive on different days, so look for two confirmation emails with your tracking numbers. Peter managed reviews and listings for Download.com during the 2000s, and is passionate about software and no-nonsense advice for creators, consumers and investors. "If symptoms occur, individuals should immediately quarantine until a negative test confirms symptoms are not attributable to COVID-19," the guidance states. "In the absence of Congress providing additional funding for the nation's COVID-19 response, the administration has acted with its limited existing funding to add more at-home COVID-19 tests to the nation's stockpile and support this round of ordering ahead of continued increases in COVID-19 cases," the White House said in a statement. White House press secretary Jen Psaki added that the administration was anticipating a bug or two," but had IT experts from across the government working to get the site ready. "The way that we set this up was to make sure that every household who wanted these tests could get them before we made a second round available," White House testing coordinator Tom Inglesby told NPR. You can also get there via covidtests.gov. The White House emphasized that the website was in beta testing when it made tests available for ordering for the first time on Tuesday. If a package qualifies for the USPS Delivery Instructions service, you can tell USPS where to leave a package at your address, send it to a different address, or send it to your Post Office. In January 2022, President Joe Biden announced the . Below, find out how to request new COVID-19 tests, track your order and learn about other places to get free test kits. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives. Major pharmacy chains originally required customers with insurance to pay for tests upfront and get reimbursed, but some have now shifted to a model where most customers with insurance cards can get eight tests per month at no cost. That will be paid for with money from the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill Biden signed into law in March. The Post Office has shipped 737 million free COVID tests since the program started. For more on COVID-19 and at-home testing, learn about the COVID-19 testing guidelines from the FDA and how to spot fake COVID tests. All of the tests supplied will be authorized by the Food and Drug Administration and are capable of detecting the more-transmissible omicron variant of COVID-19, which is the dominant strain in the U.S. Once you receive it, you can either click the tracking link or copy and paste the tracking number into thePostal Service's website's tracker. U.S. Postal Service Has Delivered More than 270 Million COVID-19 Test But Inglesby said there's another reason the federal government is purchasing all these tests: "to keep the testing infrastructure strong.". To promote broad access, the initial program will allow for four free tests per residential address. "To promote broad access, the initial program will only allow4free individual tests per residential address," the site states. The Biden administration says the procedures will differ from insurer to insurer, and it is encouraging Americans to save receipts from rapid test purchases for later reimbursement and to reach out to their insurance providers for information. Get Your Free COVID Tests From the Post Office While You Can In this photo illustration, free iHealth coronavirus rapid tests from the federal government sit in a U.S. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news, emailus.usps.com/s/the-postal-store-inquiry. The U.S. More than half of U.S. households ordered tests in January and February. So Biden committed the government to buy 1 billion tests to distribute. According to the Food and Drug Administration, manufacturers have ensured that the tests remain stable at various temperatures, "including shipping during the summer in very hot regions and in the winter in very cold regions.". What to do if you haven't gotten your free COVID-19 tests in the - KEYE Those with public health insurance through Medicare, or without insurance, are being directed to covidtests.gov to order tests or to community health centers in their area offering free testing. The first shipments were expected to go out to Americans by the end of the month. 1.2-day average to deliver a test kit package from USPS to a home; Over 68 million test kit packages (4 tests per kit) shipped to households across all states, Tribes, territories; each package contains four individual COVID-19 test kits How to protect your personal information and privacy, stay safe online, and help your kids do the same. The government's website offering free COVID tests is up and running, officially launching Wednesday, though thousands of Americans got an early chance to order free COVID-19 testing kits . You can also get there viacovidtests.gov. Free COVID tests: A guide to navigating Biden's new program - AP NEWS Free tests can be ordered at covidtests.gov or at usps.com/covidtest. Postal Service envelope after being delivered on Feb. 4. The tests are completely free. The program to mail free COVID-19 tests to Americans might end soon because of lack of funding.