Covid test for travel not paid by many insurance companies

[tbmrt]

I planned to go to CVS or Walgreens for a test for our upcoming cruise in 2022.  I checked and was told my insurance company will not pay for travel Covid testing.  Not sure about Humana, my current insurance company.  

 

Read that if the testing facility gives you a test and your insurance company rejects it, you will be billed.

 

Has anyone experienced this?

 

Recommendations for any reasonably priced Covid tests near Tampa?

 

Thanks.

[GeriatricNurse]

39 minutes ago, tbmrt said:

I planned to go to CVS or Walgreens for a test for our upcoming cruise in 2022.  I checked and was told my insurance company will not pay for travel Covid testing.  Not sure about Humana, my current insurance company.  

 

Read that if the testing facility gives you a test and your insurance company rejects it, you will be billed.

 

Has anyone experienced this?

 

Recommendations for any reasonably priced Covid tests near Tampa?

 

Thanks.

tbmrt, I live in Ontario, Canada, and WalMart provides Covid-19 'Rapid Antigen Testing', with an appointment, at a cost of $19.97, (with the results in 15 minutes)!

[Ipeeinthepools]

1 hour ago, tbmrt said:

I planned to go to CVS or Walgreens for a test for our upcoming cruise in 2022.  I checked and was told my insurance company will not pay for travel Covid testing.  Not sure about Humana, my current insurance company.  

 

Read that if the testing facility gives you a test and your insurance company rejects it, you will be billed.

 

Has anyone experienced this?

 

Recommendations for any reasonably priced Covid tests near Tampa?

 

Thanks.

 

Certainly you must have been in close contact with someone that may have Covid.  That’s the reason you are being tested. 😉

[jalves]

We went to a Walgreens in Winter Garden FL and never even had to provide our health care insurance information.  

[Bo1953]

We consider the cost of testing as part of the cruise cost, health insurance or not... AND many have experienced it, read: having to pay for the correct C-19 test rather that be before they leave home or in the embarkation city.

 

Surely you must be able to search in your area for testing which you consider 'reasonable' or at no charge, regardless of insurance?

 

Also, there are a number of threads, as of recent, which will provide some input and ideas on what you seek...

 

If not, take the plunge and get the test and get on the boat, if negative. Besides No Charge, what would you consider 'reasonable'?

 

The other option would be just cancel your sailing due to the fact that you have to pay for the C-19 test and wait to sail when no testing will be required or needed....

 

Your results will vary based on your research, yet many here on CC have reported no charge.

 

In health and bon voyage

Edited November 4, 2021 by Bo1953

[tbmrt]

45 minutes ago, Ipeeinthepools said:

2 hours ago, tbmrt said:

I planned to go to CVS or Walgreens for a test for our upcoming cruise in 2022.  I checked and was told my insurance company will not pay for travel Covid testing.  Not sure about Humana, my current insurance company.  

 

Read that if the testing facility gives you a test and your insurance company rejects it, you will be billed.

 

Has anyone experienced this?

 

Recommendations for any reasonably priced Covid tests near Tampa?

 

Thanks.

Expand  

 

Certainly you must have been in close contact with someone that may have Covid.  That’s the reason you are being tested. 😉

 

[sanger727]

Walgreens doesn't offer paid tests as far as they know. You will fill out a pre-screening survey. You will either be allowed to test or now allowed to test based on the survey. One of the blocks is "do you live in an area with sustained community transmission". I believe that is true everywhere in the US. If you "qualify" to take a covid test based on their requirements either your insurance will pay for it or they will use grant money to pay for it.

[Virga]

@sanger727 has it.  All areas of the United States are experiencing community spread, and as such, all individuals here have a legitimate medical reason for testing.  I've been testing frequently ever since this was explained to me.

 

I'm sure my insurance wishes it were defined differently, but perhaps it all works out in the wash - my mental health has improved significantly since I've been able to convince myself I'm truly unlikely to infect my elders or my fragile patients why given day.  

[packedandready]

This has all been really confusing to me too. We sail soon and Walgreens is the only place in our rural area to get tested. I called and asked about cost and was told there would be no charge. I asked about testing for travel only reasons and was again told no charge. Sooooooo, don't really know what to expect. Guess we'll see soon.

[marieps]

3 hours ago, Ipeeinthepools said:

 

Certainly you must have been in close contact with someone that may have Covid.  That’s the reason you are being tested. 😉

Nudge nudge, wink wink, say no more.  😆

[Bo1953]

2 hours ago, packedandready said:

This has all been really confusing to me too. We sail soon and Walgreens is the only place in our rural area to get tested. I called and asked about cost and was told there would be no charge. I asked about testing for travel only reasons and was again told no charge. Sooooooo, don't really know what to expect. Guess we'll see soon.

Have a great sailing regardless...

 

In health and bon voyage

[LGW59]

7 hours ago, tbmrt said:

I planned to go to CVS or Walgreens for a test for our upcoming cruise in 2022.  I checked and was told my insurance company will not pay for travel Covid testing.  Not sure about Humana, my current insurance company.  

 

Read that if the testing facility gives you a test and your insurance company rejects it, you will be billed.

 

Has anyone experienced this?

 

Recommendations for any reasonably priced Covid tests near Tampa?

 

Thanks.

when in 2022 are you planning to cruise?

 

[marieps]

4 hours ago, Bo1953 said:

Have a great sailing regardless...

 

In health and bon voyage

Thanks for getting the Monty Python, Eric Idle reference.  Knew you were cultured.

[jagoffee]

12 hours ago, tbmrt said:

I planned to go to CVS or Walgreens for a test for our upcoming cruise in 2022.  I checked and was told my insurance company will not pay for travel Covid testing.  Not sure about Humana, my current insurance company.  

 

Read that if the testing facility gives you a test and your insurance company rejects it, you will be billed.

 

Has anyone experienced this?

 

Recommendations for any reasonably priced Covid tests near Tampa?

 

Thanks.

I am not sure how you checked to see to see if you would be charged.  I live in IL so it might be different.  I have been tested 5 different times at Walgreens and I have never been charged.  I like the whole process for the ID Now test at Walgreens as it is the quickest PCR type test.

[miched]

I have AARP Medigap and called them.  They said it was only covered if I got a referral from a doctor.  I asked my doctor.  He called CVS in NC and was told  that Medicare covers it.  
 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

[terrydtx]

I have Medicare advantage plan through Aetna and all 3 Covid tests through CVS have been covered 100%, I used the I need it for travel reasons in each case.

 

If your insurance will not cover the cost just consider it part of the cost to travel and pay out of pocket. You will not will able to board a ship in the near future without one, that is the reality.

Edited November 4, 2021 by terrydtx

[Bo1953]

16 hours ago, marieps said:

Thanks for getting the Monty Python, Eric Idle reference.  Knew you were cultured.

LOL - goes to show that I have lucid moments from time to time....

 

bon voyage

[Purplsmurf]

We have tested at Walgreens multiple times for travel. Get the Abbott ID Now 🔴 test. It’s absolutely free

[marieps]

I just finished the eMed test procedure.  Pretty painless, although I had to warn the proctor upfront that her accent would be a challenge with my hearing impairment.  She was patient and kind and spoke slowly for me.  Got the negative result I expected and we're good to go.

[canderson]

18 hours ago, marieps said:

Thanks for getting the Monty Python, Eric Idle reference.  Knew you were cultured.

I keep dropping my COVID mask for a second and say, "It is I, Leclerc".  Only had one response in a year.  The owner of one of our favorite restaurants is evidently one of the few BBC fans here in Colorado.

[DCPIV]

As far as I know, the Walgreens and CVSs around here charge nothing for the antigen tests (which is all you need for cruising from the US at the moment).  They do charge for PCR tests, though.

[marieps]

22 minutes ago, canderson said:

I keep dropping my COVID mask for a second and say, "It is I, Leclerc".  Only had one response in a year.  The owner of one of our favorite restaurants is evidently one of the few BBC fans here in Colorado.

Good Murning, Earl.

[canderson]

3 minutes ago, marieps said:

Good Murning, Earl.

And a 'good moaning' to you as well!  Excellent!

(Listen very carefully; I will say this only once).

[mac_tlc]

17 hours ago, terrydtx said:

I have Medicare advantage plan through Aetna and all 3 Covid tests through CVS have been covered 100%, I used the I need it for travel reasons in each case.

 

If your insurance will not cover the cost just consider it part of the cost to travel and pay out of pocket. You will not will able to board a ship in the near future without one, that is the reality.

Us too. We have had five tests at CVS and all covered. 

mac_tlc

[vms]

In the US, if your insurance company has an exclusion for testing required for travel, and if they are notified that the reason for your test is travel, then it will likely not be covered by them.

 

In many instances, testing providers are not providing the information to insurance companies, so the test ends up being paid for.  I know this happened to me when I used both the Walgreens ID Now test and the Vault test last year to travel to Hawaii and although it should have been my cost, my insurance ended up paying it because there wasn't any coding submitted that indicated the reason was for travel, even after I had specified it as the reason for my needing the test, and in the case of the Vault test, receiving a specifically-designated test for Hawaii travelers to try to ensure that the results came back within the required Hawaii testing timeframe.

 

If you have an HSA or FSA, tests should be eligible to be paid for from these funds, regardless of the reason for taking the test.

 

While these tests may be at no cost to you at the time you take them, they are not free. Someone or some organization is covering the costs, whether that be your insurance company, or your fellow taxpayer through government funding.

 

As others have said, plan on this as part of the cost of your trip. If it ends up at no cost to you, then enjoy the extra beverage or keepsake that you can now spend that money on!