Price of COVID-19 testing in your area?

Discussion in 'Coronavirus (COVID-19) News' started by MJ Davies, Aug 26, 2020.

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  1. MJ Davies

    MJ Davies Well-Known Member

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    (Far North IL) I am required to get tested for outpatient surgery. Called the one testing site yesterday (only one hospital here). They charge $300 for asymptomatic patients.

    I recall when POTUS signed a bill for the testing to be free.(https://www.medpagetoday.com/infectiousdisease/covid19/85498).

    Have you been required to pay for testing in your area?
     
  2. Antiduopolist

    Antiduopolist Well-Known Member

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    That's outrageous.

    Please be well. :)
     
  3. Texan

    Texan Well-Known Member

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    With my insurance, I paid a $25 copay. I don't know the actual cost. Testing was in house and I got the results in 15 minutes.
     
    Last edited: Aug 26, 2020
  4. MJ Davies

    MJ Davies Well-Known Member

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    Thank you both for your responses. I have a call into my insurance company. Hopefully, this is just misinformation. I cannot imagine what people that have to have their whole family are going through.

    Stay well!
     
  5. Caligula

    Caligula Well-Known Member

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    Haven't had a test and don't need one atm. If I needed one, it would be free of any charge; live in continental Europe.
    Stay safe.
     
  6. fmw

    fmw Well-Known Member

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    $45 here. The illogical thing to me was that during the 5 days it took to get the result, I could have contracted the virus. It would have made more sense to test me at the hospital just before the surgery with a fast test. Certainly the hospital has that kind of testing equipment. But then I haven't seen much common sense to the response to Covid. Almost none, actually.
     
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  7. fmw

    fmw Well-Known Member

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    Trust me, it isn't free. You pay for it in taxes.
     
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  8. fiddlerdave

    fiddlerdave Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Except that the people in Europe the cost is a fraction of what the USA citizens will pay.
     
  9. Caligula

    Caligula Well-Known Member

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    Trust me, I know a lot more about the tax system where I live than you do.

    Stay safe everybody.
     
  10. fmw

    fmw Well-Known Member

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    You're right. I should have said you can pay for it in national debt.
     
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  11. fmw

    fmw Well-Known Member

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    Go do a comparison of taxes in Europe vs. taxes in the U.S. then get back to me. In the meantime stop presenting opinions as fact.
     
  12. (original)late

    (original)late Banned

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    We spend a lot more on health care than any other country. A LOT more.

    The difference in taxes, if you adjust for things like health care, is not so big. Which is why they like their system, while ours is headed for a meltdown...
     
  13. MJ Davies

    MJ Davies Well-Known Member

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    USA here. I've heard about free medical care and even free colleges. I'm sure no system is perfect, but I know many people that could really benefit from those types of programs here. This whole thing gets crazier by the minute.

    Stay safe as well.

    I still haven't heard back from my insurance company on this so I don't have official word yet. However, you bring up a looming question I have.

    I had to put some appointments on hold due to our shelter-in-place. Now, doctors' offices are opening but they are not allowing any outpatient procedures unless we get tested. I have three doctors to see and I'm hoping they all will take the test results from one test so I don't have to do it over and over. However, as you stated, there is no guarantee that I don't become infected between taking the test and getting the procedure done. Makes no sense.

    It's been MONTHS since this hit the country. We should have a better system in place by now.

    Stay safe.
     
  14. fmw

    fmw Well-Known Member

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    Without a doubt and that deserves fixing. Last month I had a relatively minor but life critical surgery. There were three doctors and one nurse. The procedure lasted about 1 1/2 hours. I was released from the hospital the next morning. The bill was over $124,000. That is inexcusable. I don't know how to fix it but I know government certainly isn't the answer.
     
  15. (original)late

    (original)late Banned

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    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Aug 29, 2020
  16. fmw

    fmw Well-Known Member

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    So your opinion differs from mine. I'm amazed. But opinions aren't facts and, as such, can't be true or false.
     
  17. (original)late

    (original)late Banned

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    The government is always involved, in some way, in successful systems.

    We are going to have high unemployment for about a generation. And Covid is teaching us that allowing people to go without will kill a lot of people, including some that do have good health care.
     
  18. fmw

    fmw Well-Known Member

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    Like me, you are full of opinions. They never agree with each other, however.
     
  19. jay runner

    jay runner Banned

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    Some colleges and universities are no longer testing for COVID-19, and thus, there is no more contact tracing. They lost the spring semester and have made the decision they're not going to lose their entire future to government. If a student wants a test the student arranges for it and makes the payment for it. I have no idea what a test costs. This will probably be big news soon.

    One student I know attending classes with no sense of smell or taste really likes it that way. He's a young freshman with no other symptoms and isn't worried, hasn't told anyone but the family, wears a mask (so he can't possibly spread COVID-19), and just wants to get his hours in fast, graduate fast, and start living his engineering dream.

    The USA can never test its way out of this, the vaccine is the only possible answer. But mask up and hope against hope in the meanwhile.
     
    Last edited: Aug 29, 2020
  20. (original)late

    (original)late Banned

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    That's more than just an opinion.

    Private insurance only works with low unemployment, even then, you need to find a way to cover the basics or you get slammed with the diseases you usually only see in poor countries,

    No country that can afford it relies solely on the private sector. Not even poor countries like Costa Rica.

    Don't let your dogma run over your karma.
     
  21. MJ Davies

    MJ Davies Well-Known Member

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    IL - I just looked up what is happening in my state and it looks like some of the big name universities planned for online learning back in May.
    They all require face masks, social distancing and testing 2x/week for students that have to be on-site for their classes. (Source: https://news.wttw.com/2020/08/11/illinois-universities-colleges-prepare-fall-classes-amid-covid-19)

    The elementary and high schools are mostly remote learning as well. Our governor says they won't all open until we are at 5% so who knows when that will be. I am very worried about a vaccine being rushed through the testing phase just to get it out there.

    I am also very concerned about the kids graduating soon as they may not have any internships to complete or jobs for which to apply. We are going to feel this ripple effect for a long, long time.
     
  22. fmw

    fmw Well-Known Member

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    I wouldn't let government run anything unless it is absolutely necessary for government to do it. There is a lot to be said about the life style in Costa Rica. If I weren't married, I would move there.
     
  23. (original)late

    (original)late Banned

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    Exactly.

    There's a hundred things that needed doing, that they wound up doing.
     
  24. fmw

    fmw Well-Known Member

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    The problem is that most of those things didn't really need doing. Federal government shouldn't do anything regional or personal. I want it to defend the country militarily, maintain a stable currency, deal with other countries and resolve interstate disagreements. I don't like it doing much else. The states and local governments are the place to deal with regional and personal things. We could cut federal government by 70% and end up with a better federal government. I would guess 1/2 of the rest could go to the states and the rest to the private sector or trash can.
     
  25. (original)late

    (original)late Banned

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    The Modern World is a package deal, not a buffet.

    Try Somalia.
     

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