Free COVID-19 PCR tests ending for the uninsured in US as BA.2 subvariant cases on the rise
People that are not insured may soon have to pay for their next COVID-19 test in the U.S.
Quest Diagnostics told ABC News that patients who are not on Medicare, Medicaid or don't have a private health plan will now be charged $125 for one of its PCR tests.
Federal agencies say they can no longer cover the costs for the uninsured unless Congress agrees to more COVID-19 funding.
The White House said in the coming weeks, Americans will feel the impact of funding cuts to the U.S. coronavirus response if efforts to get more money are stalled.
Walgreens says it hasn't decided whether it will charge for COVID-19 testing. CVS says it's "fully confident" a solution will be found between Congress and the Biden administration.
This comes as cases for the new omicron subvariant, known as BA.2, are on the rise.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data suggests that BA.2 cases are rising steadily, making up 23% of all cases in the U.S. as of early March.
Health officials say besides being 50% to 60% more transmissible, the BA.2 subvariant appears perform the same way as its predecessor. This means that while BA.2 can spread faster than BA.1, it might not make people sicker.
