DaveOKC Posted June 30, 2022 #1 Share Posted June 30, 2022 I was just visiting with my pharmacist at the local Walgreens here in Oklahoma City. He told me that effect today, June 30, that they are now charging (about $120) for Covid tests for travel. He did say that some insurances may still cover it, but due to changes by the US government their free testing has been discontinued! Has anyone else heard of this? If true, there are going to be lot of upset people going forward. Hopefully this will cause the cruiselines to drop the testing requirement. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2inSETexas Posted June 30, 2022 #2 Share Posted June 30, 2022 (edited) 3 minutes ago, DaveOKC said: I was just visiting with my pharmacist at the local Walgreens here in Oklahoma City. He told me that effect today, June 30, that they are now charging (about $120) for Covid tests for travel. He did say that some insurances may still cover it, but due to changes by the US government their free testing has been discontinued! Has anyone else heard of this? If true, there are going to be lot of upset people going forward. Hopefully this will cause the cruiselines to drop the testing requirement. CVS has already made this change, so I am not surprised. The cruise industry is about the only travel sector business that is still required by the government to test https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/cruise-travel-during-covid19.html Edited June 30, 2022 by 2inSETexas 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kamfish642 Posted June 30, 2022 #3 Share Posted June 30, 2022 Need to check with your health insurance company for specifics as far as whether they will cover, but most still allow for a certain number of COVID tests per year. I know that our local Walgreens and CVS are no longer providing rapid-antigen testing at drive thru, only PCR (results in 2 days) or NAAT (results in 2 hours). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Florida_gal_50 Posted June 30, 2022 #4 Share Posted June 30, 2022 I guess it's not a big issue to me because as a Canadian I've had to be tested multiple times coming, going etc. I look on it as part of the price of cruising. The only way I know of to get a free test in my neck of the woods is for medical reasons. Is it really that much of an expense compared to the price if cruise? That said I pay a hefty price for my cruises. No freebies here. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare albingirl Posted June 30, 2022 #5 Share Posted June 30, 2022 Yeah, no price break for us either. No freebies. Cracks me up when people say they have to pay $200 BUT, then can use it for OBC. Color me green. 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PROCRUISE Posted June 30, 2022 #6 Share Posted June 30, 2022 (edited) CVS is doing the same, due to "governmental rule changes." The sooner the cruise lines take a stand and stop the requirement of pre-testing, the better for their own booking numbers. Luckily, I do Hospice visitations and vigils so I simply place that as the reason for testing. Not cruising again until December so hopefully no pre-testing required by then but, who knows. Edited June 30, 2022 by PROCRUISE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BroncoBobblehead Posted June 30, 2022 #7 Share Posted June 30, 2022 A telehealth proctored home test (using a test provided free by the US government) is just $15. No reason to mess with Walgreens, CVS, or anybody else at this point! 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare The-Inside-Cabin Posted June 30, 2022 #8 Share Posted June 30, 2022 14 minutes ago, BroncoBobblehead said: A telehealth proctored home test (using a test provided free by the US government) is just $15. No reason to mess with Walgreens, CVS, or anybody else at this point! Thanks for the tip - HERE is the link - glad to have more options. California is doing free tests for residents at various locations across the state. More HERE 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PACD_JG Posted June 30, 2022 #9 Share Posted June 30, 2022 29 minutes ago, BroncoBobblehead said: A telehealth proctored home test (using a test provided free by the US government) is just $15. No reason to mess with Walgreens, CVS, or anybody else at this point! But Walgreens was free. Didn’t realize $15 and free were the same thing. And that’s per person…so for a family of four it’s $60. Last time I studied math, four times zero equals free. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BroncoBobblehead Posted June 30, 2022 #10 Share Posted June 30, 2022 3 minutes ago, PACD_JG said: But Walgreens was free. Didn’t realize $15 and free were the same thing. And that’s per person…so for a family of four it’s $60. Last time I studied math, four times zero equals free. I'm talking about the $150 they're gonna charge now. And yeah, it's not free but as @Florida_gal_50 said, compared to what you're spending for the cruise, it's nothing. Sure, I wish it wasn't required at all, but unfortunately the options are wait to cruise, or find the cheapest options available so that's what I was trying to do. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare ontheweb Posted June 30, 2022 #11 Share Posted June 30, 2022 Not a problem at our local Walgreens as there is a sign that they do not do Covid testing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Oceansaway17 Posted June 30, 2022 #12 Share Posted June 30, 2022 20 minutes ago, ontheweb said: Not a problem at our local Walgreens as there is a sign that they do not do Covid testing. correct no all Walgreens does them just like not all CVS does the Antigen. Its all about location and space Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Gail & Marty sailing away Posted June 30, 2022 #13 Share Posted June 30, 2022 1 hour ago, The-Inside-Cabin said: Thanks for the tip - HERE is the link - glad to have more options. California is doing free tests for residents at various locations across the state. More HERE Thanks for the info I will have to get it done on 7/28/22 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Gail & Marty sailing away Posted June 30, 2022 #14 Share Posted June 30, 2022 (edited) 2 hours ago, The-Inside-Cabin said: Thanks for the tip - HERE is the link - glad to have more options. California is doing free tests for residents at various locations across the state. More HERE Will the Free ones from BinaxNow Antigen self test work with Video Monitoring?? Edited June 30, 2022 by Gail & Marty sailing away Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare The-Inside-Cabin Posted June 30, 2022 #15 Share Posted June 30, 2022 33 minutes ago, Gail & Marty sailing away said: Will the Free ones from BinaxNow Antigen self test work with Video Monitoring?? I don't know, but I wouldn't see why not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Gail & Marty sailing away Posted June 30, 2022 #16 Share Posted June 30, 2022 4 minutes ago, The-Inside-Cabin said: I don't know, but I wouldn't see why not. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare SLOTheta Posted June 30, 2022 #17 Share Posted June 30, 2022 I made an appointment for today through Quest and it was no cost- billed to my insurance. It was a drive through contracted with Rite Aid https://patient.questdiagnostics.com/no-cost-covid-test 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Nickelpenny Posted June 30, 2022 #18 Share Posted June 30, 2022 4 hours ago, BroncoBobblehead said: A telehealth proctored home test (using a test provided free by the US government) is just $15. No reason to mess with Walgreens, CVS, or anybody else at this point! And if you have an HSA you can pay for it that way. (I did) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cameronp12 Posted June 30, 2022 #19 Share Posted June 30, 2022 Walgreens is charging for tests for travel but couldn’t you just put on the website when making the appointment that you had an exposure instead of doing it for travel, then they would run it through your insurance and it would be free? As far as I know, the results page you get after the test doesn’t specify for travel or not. However, I used the eMed proctored test for my cruise this past month and it worked really well. Didn’t have time for the Walgreens appointment and didn’t mind paying for the convenience. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Florida_gal_50 Posted June 30, 2022 #20 Share Posted June 30, 2022 1 hour ago, cameronp12 said: Walgreens is charging for tests for travel but couldn’t you just put on the website when making the appointment that you had an exposure instead of doing it for travel, then they would run it through your insurance and it would be free? As far as I know, the results page you get after the test doesn’t specify for travel or not. However, I used the eMed proctored test for my cruise this past month and it worked really well. Didn’t have time for the Walgreens appointment and didn’t mind paying for the convenience. To me it seems so shady to do that to save a buck. Why not save it for people that are actually sick? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cameronp12 Posted July 1, 2022 #21 Share Posted July 1, 2022 1 hour ago, Florida_gal_50 said: To me it seems so shady to do that to save a buck. Why not save it for people that are actually sick? Fair, but whether you’re paying for the test or having your insurance company pay for it, you’re still taking it. I don’t believe we have a shortage of tests right now. I know I can grab the take home ones from my work anytime I want. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare tetleytea Posted July 1, 2022 #22 Share Posted July 1, 2022 Another Holland thread is now saying that they are no longer requiring you to be tested. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruise Suzy Posted July 1, 2022 #23 Share Posted July 1, 2022 Just now, tetleytea said: Another Holland thread is now saying that they are no longer requiring you to be tested. But only on 3 cruises leaving in July on the Rotterdam. Seems to be a test of procedures. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pgwilli Posted July 1, 2022 #24 Share Posted July 1, 2022 I just did a proctored" bring your own kit" test thru OnPoint. $15 - had results in about 25 minutes from the start. Certified Teleservice COVID Testing - OnPoint Testing (onpoint-testing.com) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare DENIE Posted July 2, 2022 #25 Share Posted July 2, 2022 (edited) That is way too much money! We just got back from the Mediterranean, and a regular pharmacy next to our hotel in Rome charged 15 Euro and had the results in 20 minutes. No Covid test should cost $120 - I'm a health care fraud investigator, and that is not an acceptable charge. At this point, the proctored exams that some cruise lines are contracting with seem the best way to go. Edited July 2, 2022 by DENIE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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