If people think it's just one doctor/one clinic profiting off from this pandemic, they'd be wrong.
I know a couple of people who worked at these COVID testing sites in NYC (area near Columbia University), Brooklyn and in New Jersey for $15/hour. If one wants to work there, s/he doesn't even need to have work permit (because these sites hire foreign medical graduates for cheap labor). One just need to be able to draw blood, if necessary and that's the main requirement to work there.
All of these clinics are owned by doctors. I'm 100% sure these clinic owners get reimbursed more than $15 per test from the US government. It is a financial windfall for those entrepreneurial doctors and clinic owners who are willing to ignore proper screening in hiring COVID testers at the sites.
Could well be. Many people are saddened by the whole idea of a for-profit healthcare system ... regardless of the politics ... and I'm among them. Health is a Human Right.
As for the predatory equity firms that control many of them, I'd be delighted to see them thrown out of the US ... after their owners serve serious jail-time.
Edit: While we're at it, how about 1 year of jail time for every US citizen who has died of opioids made by US pharmas. They can divide that time up however their employees decide is fair.
Yes they bill the insurance $1,944. But the insurance isn't going to pay that. Most of the insurance companies have capped COVID testing at $100. That is what they will cover because that is what the CARE Act requires them to cover. So that person probably got a bill for $1,844 from their insurance because the insurance probably paid $100.
I recently had COVID, so I have just gone through all of the stuff in this article.
You would be surprised how many "COVID Testing Sites" are scams. Pure scams.
Many of them are not even able to bill your insurance, probably because Insurance companies would refuse to pay the fees they are charging for. So you will be paying out of pocket for them.
I actually did shop this around, trying to find a legit one. Several of the ones I called charged $400 for a "screening visit" which is basically the person that comes to your car window and asks if you have any COVID symptoms. If you say "yes I have a cough" or you list any other symptom of COVID (which is almost anything) then they will determine that you should get a COVID test. This screening visit is laughable. Many of the people screening you aren't even licensed medical professionals in any way. Even more disgusting, half of them are volunteers. They think they are helping the community and have volunteered. They simply listen for a single symptom and when they hear it then they give you the test. This screening cost ranges from $200 - $600 in my area. But the average was $400. Then they administer the test which can be charged $99 - $299. Many of these "drive up testing sites" that you see advertised are legit scams. They want people to see the sign, pull up in their car, get the test without asking any questions, and they will get a surprise bill of $500 - $1000+ in a few months. The other charge that you often get is a test results charge. Some of these testing sites are charging you for the phone call they make to tell you the test results.
So be very wary if you are getting COVID tested. THere are a lot of places out there doing COVID testing that are PURE SCAMS!
Good news: there are some legit ones. But you need to really do your research ahead of time. I eventually went and got tested at a testing site that is operated by my state. They are authorized to bill the CARE Act which was the emergency bill that allows for free COVID testing and COVID care. They were also authroized to bill your insurance. They bill insurance a flat $99 fee. And if your insurance doesn't cover it then the CARE Act can cover the rest.
So please be careful out there. If you are getting COVID testing, make sure to do some research and go to a legit testing site. Call them and see if they can bill the CARE Act. Even if you have insurance, you want to go to these sites because they are the "official ones". If they are doing it legit enough that the CARE Act covers them, then the insurance companies will also cover tests from that same place. Make sure there are no additional costs for screening or delivering results. If they have any of those costs or are NOT covered by the CARE Act, then run. Those places are likely profiting off the pandemic and will surprise you with expensive bills that your insurance will refuse to cover.
