They do not belong to or represent views of the Federal Trade Commission. Postal Service's mission to deliver 500 million coronavirus test kits has cast it in an unprecedented role in the nation's pandemic response just as covid-19 infections have peaked . Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives. If you spot a scammer offering COVID test kits, tell the FTC about it right away at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Critically, the requirement only covers purchases on or after Jan. 15. 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. Go to our FAQs section to find answers to your tracking questions. To check the status of an online order, login to your usps.com account and select Activity History. Visit special.USPS.com/testkits. On Monday, the White House released a video telling people the website was ready to go again. 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. All tests will come with detailed instructions. Please allow for an additional 2-3 business days for the delivery of your order. Your kits will be mailed through the U.S. 2. You can also get there via covidtests.gov. The Postal Service wants to be released from the testing and vaccination requirements issued by OSHA on Nov. 5. You can thentrack your orderwith your tracking number. Enter your contact details and shipping information. In January, theBiden administration declaredthat health insurance companies would be required to cover at-home tests. Once your order ships, a tracking number will be assigned and it will appear in your order information. 1. At COVIDtests.gov, you'll find information about testing and a link to the U.S. Theres a new federal resource to get free FDA-authorized coronavirus test kits. Try entering fewer or broader search terms. Learn more about Informed Delivery. A new federal website to request free test kits officially launches Wednesday but was available to use Tuesday with the first shipments going out to U.S. households by the end of the month. Katie is a writer covering all things how-to at CNET, with a focus on Social Security and notable events. USPS reports shipping times of 1-3 days for its first-class package service in the continental United States. For more on COVID-19, learn why the expiration date on your test kit might be wrong. The wait is getting long for some people who ordered free COVID-19 tests from the federal government. Postal Service starting late January. 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 18 years of editorial experience with a current focus on personal finance, end to the three-year-long public health emergency, expiration date on your test kit might be wrong, According to the Food and Drug Administration, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced, also eligible to receive eight free tests a month, search for a local health center or clinic with free COVID-19 tests near you, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure youre on a federal government site. Once you place your order, you should receive a confirmation email. 3. In one version of the scam, you get a call and a recorded message that says its Amazon. But keep in mind, this is a moderated blog. In January 2022, President Joe Biden announced the . 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. White House officials say the covidtests.gov tests are coming from new manufacturing capacity and should not interfere with existing supplies that drugstores, health clinics and state governments are relying on. 1. The CDC states that anyone who may have been exposed to someone with COVID should test five days after their exposure, or as soon as symptoms occur. Order Your Free Tests Mail and packages will begin to populate your dashboard and daily notifications in 2 to 5 business days. Start small, then add on. Medicare was not initially included in the plan to distribute free COVID-19 tests, but in April theCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services announcedthat participants with Plan B or those enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans arealso eligible to receive eight free tests a month. USPS to begin deliveries soon. The Biden administration is emphasizing that the website is just one tool for Americans to access COVID-19 testing. Delivered Tuesdays and Thursdays. The Post Office has shipped 737 million free COVID tests since the program started. Subscribe to consumer alerts from the FTC to get updates delivered right to your email inbox. 9407 3000 0000 0000 0000 00, Collect On Delivery Hold For Pickup Get free COVID-19 test kits through health insurance, Medicare or local health clinics. If you're not insured or covered by Medicare, you still can get free COVID-19 tests. Today, you can order another free round of COVID tests shipped straight to your home at https://t.co/12LzJrqFsC. Now, the Biden administration plans to add at-home coronavirus tests into the national strategic stockpile so they can be sent out rapidly in case of a future surge. The difference is that the popover can contain much more content.. 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. 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. Postal Service. Deliveries of at-home coronavirus test kits are starting to arrive in Americans' mail boxes after orders began to be placed on a government website on Tuesday. 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. It takes less than two minutes to complete a short form asking for your name and mailing address, and the tests ship in about a week or two. We wont post comments that include vulgar messages, personal attacks by name, or offensive terms that target specific people or groups. 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. Beginning last weekend, private insurers are required to cover the cost of up to eight at-home rapid tests per month per insured person, according to a new Biden administration rule. Here's how to get your free test kits. In January 2022, President Joe Biden announced the launch ofCovidTests.gov, a website that let households order four free rapid antigen COVID-19 tests shipped by USPS. EA 000 000 000 US, Priority Mail International Two top aides to Pope Francis test positive for coronavirus. hide caption. 4. You may unsubscribe at any time. "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. "Obviously if you're symptomatic, you test right away. Verify that your information is correct and selectPlace My Order. The COVID-19 test kits can be ordered online. To promote broad access, the initial program will allow for four free tests per residential address. 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. COVID-19 case numbers have dropped significantly since January. After May 11, many services provided by the federal government will now fall to American citizens or their health insurance companies, and the lack of budgeted funds could mean the end of free COVID-19 tests any time now. At COVIDtests.gov, youll find information about testing and a link to the U.S. There were isolated reports Tuesday afternoon of issues relating to the websites address verification tool erroneously enforcing the four-per-household cap on apartment buildings and other multi-unit dwellings. Insurers are being incentivized to work with pharmacies and retailers to develop plans to cover the cost of the tests with no out-of-pocket cost to customers, but those programs will not be immediately widespread. We apologize for any inconvenience this might cause. Here's how to get your free test kits. More than half of U.S. households ordered tests in January and February. The link you followed may be expired or broken. The file or page you requested could not be found. This time, test scarcity is not a problem. Verify that your information is correct and selectPlace My Order. How does the free COVID-19 test program from USPS work? than the tracking website had . If we rely solely on the internet, were going to see those in rural areas, and those on reservations, not being able to get the same access to information, she said. Looking for alternatives for your holiday shopping? You can also get there via covidtests.gov. In addition, most Americans are now able to get reimbursed for tests that they purchase. At that time, the White House said that it would reserve a supply of COVID-19 tests for the winter season, and it's now shipping tests again. According to Chicago-area health departments, people should assume the test results are accurate and should isolate from others to reduce the risk of spreading the virus. In January 2022, President Joe Biden announced the . If you do not see the Change Delivery Instructions link, your package is not eligible for the Delivery Instructions service. We don't edit comments to remove objectionable content, so please ensure that your comment contains none of the above. 3. Millions of free tests are available at participating pharmacy locations, community health centers and Federal Emergency Management Agency-backed sites in some parts of the country experiencing a surge in cases. The Popover plugin is similar to tooltips; it is a pop-up box that appears when the user clicks on an element. 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. Biden's promise of 1 billion test kits is in addition to the administration's earlier pledge to send 50 million rapid tests to community health centers across the country. Go to COVIDtests.gov or call 1-800-232-0233 (TTY 1-888-720-7489) to order your free COVID test kits from the federal government. The federal government has secured more than 420 million tests for distribution through covidtests.gov already, with plans to increase the order to 1 billion tests in the coming weeks. COVIDTests.gov has more information, while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website has self-testing guidance. The idea is that these tests can be used if someone develops symptoms, has a close exposure to someone with COVID-19 or wants to spend time indoors with someone who would be at high risk if they were to catch the coronavirus. Want CNET to notify you of price drops and the latest stories? View the information below to learn more about checking the status of your order. It takes less than two minutes to complete a short form asking for your name and mailing address, and the tests ship in about a week or two. Stamps And some people who signed up to get free tests through the federal government said that by now, their. The White House has a new plan for COVID-19 aimed at getting things back to normal, Biden wants more COVID relief funds. 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. The White House has requested $22.5 billion in additional funding from Congress, part of which would go to purchasing rapid tests, both to keep the industry viable and to fill the nation's strategic reserves. What to do about unwanted calls, emails, and text messages that can be annoying, might be illegal, and are probably scams. But then when case numbers increased with the delta and omicron waves, there weren't nearly enough tests to meet demand. The White House says that to promote broad access, shipments from covidtests.gov will initially be limited to four rapid tests per residential address, no matter the number of occupants. Anyone who asks for more information than that is a scammer. Note to Reporters: B-roll and images of the USPS's work to package and ship COVID-19 test kits are available here. People can place those orders through the website, COVIDTests . Comparing International Shipping Services, First-Class Package International Service. You can also add and manage packages you've shipped using the online dashboard or app. We apologize for any inconvenience this might cause. Enter your contact details and shipping information. How can I leave delivery instructions? You won't be asked to provide any credit or debit card details, as both the tests and the shipping are free. There were isolated reports Tuesday of problems relating to the websites address verification tool erroneously enforcing the four-per-household cap on apartment buildings and other multi-unit dwellings. Your sales receipt if you bought insurance at the Post Office, Your email confirmation if you shipped from USPS.com, The shipping confirmation email you received from an online retailer, The bottom peel-off portion of your USPS Tracking, Already left the Post Office for delivery.