Fewer free COVID testing options for the uninsured as BA.2 variant spreads in Washington
An important heads up - some free COVID testing options are going away. Federal funding has run out for certain programs, which means the uninsured will have to pay out of pocket for PCR tests, depending on the location.
The changes will not impact public Washington State-supported testing sites for at least a couple of months, according to the WA Department of Health. However, some private testing locations no longer have free testing for people without insurance.
The changes are happening as the state sees an increase in COVID cases caused by the new BA.2 variant. The variant is officially the dominant strain in Washington, making up 51.4% of tests run by UW Medicine’s Virology Lab.
“The proportion of BA.2 is rising, so we are bracing ourselves for a slight increase in the number of cases,” said Pavitra Roychoudhury, Ph.D., who heads genomic sequencing with UW Medicine’s Virology Lab.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/careersandeducation/fewer-free-covid-testing-options-for-the-uninsured-as-ba-2-variant-spreads-in-washington/ar-AAVJKjT