Autumn has arrived, and with it comes renewed concerns about the spread of covid-19, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). In response, the US government is reinstating a program to provide free home rapid antigen tests to US households. According to the official government website, shipments of these tests will commence this week.
The process for ordering the tests remains straightforward and does not require the submission of a credit card or any other financial information.
Additionally, the ordering page includes details on the expiration status of existing tests.
However, the previous program that offered reimbursement from private health insurance for purchased tests is no longer available. This could pose a financial burden for households with limited budgets, as the cost of covid tests can be significant. Despite this, there are still a few limited options for obtaining low- or no-cost testing.
This article, originally published on December 15th, 2022, has been updated as of September 30th, 2024, to reflect the latest information on the testing program.