Test to Treat program

Note: this is a sponsored post in support of Contract No 75N92022D00010

This has been a rough few months for many families when it comes to sickness. Respiratory season continues on - from RSV, to Influenza, to Covid-19, to Mycoplasma.

Many of you have shared how frustrating it has been to keep taking time off work/school to try to get in with your doctor and get tested/treated.

Healthcare providers are also overloaded and overwhelmed, and it is increasingly challenging to be seen in a timely fashion. 

Obviously, if you have a serious concern about your (or your child’s) health, you should reach out to your healthcare provider. But I wanted to share a time-limited resource that can serve as a bridge or extra option for when getting seen (or tested) is not easy to arrange. I’m very excited about this resource!

A community-centric view

I’ve posted before about how important it is for individuals to have a community-centric viewpoint when it comes to how they handle their family’s illnesses. For many of us without significant risk factors, getting Covid-19 or Influenza is more of a nuisance than anything else. But these illnesses can cause severe (and even fatal symptoms) for more vulnerable populations, such as the elderly, immune-compromised, chronically ill or very young. For this reason, it is our responsibility to be proactive about getting tested. 

Home Test to Treat

Home Test to Treat is a nationwide program providing free testing, telehealth and treatment. The program is a partnership between the NIH Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADx® Tech) program, NIBIB, ASPR, CDC, eMed and UMass Chan Medical School.

The goal is not only to have a better understanding of how home tests and telemedicine can improve healthcare access, but also to increase testing and treatment equity in vulnerable populations.

If you enroll, de-identified data will be shared with UMass Chan Medical School with a goal of informing and changing the public health landscape for the future!

The program has limited spots for enrollment and will close on April 16, 2024. Here are other details regarding eligibility. You must be 18 years of age or older to enroll.

If you are privately-insured (or have employer-sponsored healthcare), you can:

• Enroll with a current positive C-19 and/or flu test

• Receive free telehealth care and treatment if prescribed

• You cannot receive free tests

If you are uninsured or enrolled in Medicare, Medicaid, VA Healthcare, or Indian Health Services, you:

• Do not need to have C-19 or flu to sign up

• Are eligible for free at home C-19 and flu tests*

• Can receive free Telehealth care and treatment for C-19 and/or flu if prescribed

  *testing supplies are limited

The Pediatrician Mom Tip: Treatment can be shipped to you or picked up at a local pharmacy at no cost for those eligible. 

Regardless of insurance status:

Anyone with a current positive COVID-19 test may enroll for free telehealth treatment.

How do I sign up?

Sign up here: www.test2treat.org

I hope you will consider signing up for this program.

My personal opinion is that home testing and telemedicine are one of the (few) silver linings of the pandemic, and increasing access to these options is a step in the right direction when it comes to making healthcare accessible to everyone across the country, regardless of their socioeconomic status.