The Common Myths vs. Facts About COVID-19 Testing

By February 4, 2021

Misinformation about COVID-19 or infodemic, as WHO calls it, spreads like wildfire. When it comes to public safety and health crises like the COVID-19 pandemic, it can be deadly and put more lives at risk. As a trusted pharmacy and COVID testing site in Charlotte, Lancaster, and Rock Hill, our concern lies in the impact of misleading COVID information and the gravity of its effect on the current pandemic.

In this post, we will get things straight about the common myths about COVID-19 tests to help spread science-backed information about the purpose, accuracy, and costs of COVID-19 tests.

Debunking myths about COVID-19 testing

Here are the common myths that can mislead you and your family from the facts concerning COVID testing:

Myth #1: Testing for COVID-19 is ALWAYS free.

According to FFCRA and CARES Act, COVID tests are covered 100% by private health insurance companies, Medicaid, and Medicare if:

The testing center is part of the in-network healthcare providers of your insurance company.
Your insurance company allows reimbursements for COVID-testing.
The test is considered medically appropriate by a medical professional for diagnostic purposes. It is usually for insured patients exposed to the virus or works in high-risk industries, either symptomatic or asymptomatic.

There are limits to the coverage mentioned in the CARES and FFCRA Act. These include:

There are no price regulations for COVID tests set by testing facilities. Therefore, a patient will shoulder any difference beyond the test price list and services outside the negotiated charges between the insurance company and test provider.

Carolina Pharmacy COVID tests price list Carolina Pharmacy COVID-19 test price list[/caption]

Uninsured individuals and out-of-network testing sites cannot bill your insurance company.

Carolina Pharmacy accepts coverage from FSA/HSA and provides an itemized receipt for our patients so you can reimburse the testing costs to your insurance provider if they allow it. Here is a comprehensive list of insurance companies and their response to COVID-related claims.

Myth #2: Antigen test results are inaccurate.

While there are situations where confirmatory tests are required, an antigen test is a 100% indication that you have COVID. Here are the reasons why:

An antigen test detects the distinct antigen found in the COVID-19 virus. That is the reason why most airports and restricted public areas honor the negative antigen test results when you fly in and out of the country or state.
It serves as a quick detection for individuals with exposure to the virus and if a recovered COVID patient is still contagious.
It is also a crucial key indicator used for places in congregate settings or buildings with multiple tenants in which the fastest turnaround time for detection is the highest priority.
A healthcare professional considers several factors before he rules out that a patient has a false-positive or false-negative result. An antigen test taken in less than five days after being exposed to the virus is too early to extract enough protein samples detectable by the antigen test. Thus, leading to a false negative antigen test result.

Myth #3: COVID tests increase the likelihood of a surge in COVID positive cases.

The misunderstanding of the relative effect of COVID testing and the number of positive cases is the culprit of this myth. The role of COVID testing is to gauge the infection rate and location of COVID infection. If more people are tested positive, this is a clear indication that community transmission is at its peak, and therefore the pandemic is surging.

A significant factor in most infection hotspots is human behavior that calls for more stringent safety protocol implementation from local authorities.

Myth #4: Testing centers are taking advantage of the pandemic by charging for COVID tests.

Patients are bound to shoulder COVID testing costs from testing sites that are out of their insurance network. However, there are certain benefits when you consider taking a test in an out-of-network testing facility, such as:

Most hospitals and major testing centers are processing an overwhelming volume of tests per day that can delay the results. So, most of these centers refer patients to independent testing sites like Carolina Pharmacy, which can release same-day COVID antigen test results.
COVID testing costs are also 54% less on independent testing sites with no surprise costs. We offer COVID tests that range from $120 to a maximum of $160 compared to the $350 testing fee in other hospitals and healthcare providers.

Get peace of mind by testing for COVID-19 now at Carolina Pharmacy

Nothing beats the feeling of security when it comes to your safety. Get the assurance that you need by securing a negative test result if you are:

Suspecting that you have COVID
Exposed to the virus
Want to have peace of mind that you are not infected
Required to obtain a negative test result for travel or work
Experience some of the COVID symptoms for five or more days.

Help prevent the spread of COVID and schedule your COVID-19 test now. Carolina Pharmacy offers curbside COVID Antigen and RT-PCR tests at our testing sites below: