Retail Watchers

storewanderer wrote: ↑May 7th, 2020, 7:18 pm https://fox56.com/news/local/rite-aid-e ... -necessary

California is moving this way too, some counties already are doing it. When 80% of the carriers show no symptoms, you need this testing to trace the spread and protect vulnerable populations.

I've been listening to a lot of news coverage that says you can't even get a test if you are sick let alone if you aren't sick. Now I know that isn't true because early on in this I knew someone who got a test. But it was not easy to get that test... had to go through a number of hoops. So I am curious how Rite Aid is doing this. In researching it also appears Kroger is doing this too.

Also why isn't the news media better covering that there is testing available even if you have no symptoms at no cost?

The drive thru testing centers are few and far between. People have been saying the wait times for these drive thru testing centers have been hours long. People want the tests, but the demand is overwhelming. You might not even get tested before closing time.

There is no such thing as a free lunch. The testing sites will bill your insurance. If you do not have insurance that is another story. If you have Kaiser Permanente, that is also another story. You must get your test from Kaiser and only with a doctor's order. Kaiser will not give you the money back if you pay out of pocket at a non-Kaiser location.

It is sort of like the flu shot. The shot is no copay, so it seems like it is free to you. However, the doctor or pharmacy bills your insurance. If you have no insurance, you must pay out of pocket. These testing sites are out to make money. It is medical providers billing insurance companies and the customer pays a zero copay.

Supposedly the federal government said testing would be free to everyone, but those without insurance will have to pay out of pocket and then it is up to you to find out how to get a refund from the government.

You cannot just show up at an Emergency Room and ask for a test. You will be billed hundreds or thousands of dollars for an Emergency Room visit. The government will not pay for that. We do not have free universal healthcare.

You could end up having to fight your insurance company to try to get them to pay for your coronavirus test. These insurance companies love to send you bills in the mail saying you owe them for the doctor's fee or something besides the actual test. Or they may say you needed prior approval before receiving the test. Or they would only pay for the test if a doctor certified that it was medically necessary.

The City of Los Angeles and the County of Los Angeles are in partnership to provide FREE tests to ALL residents with or without symptoms.

I guess part of the issue is when do you get a test if you have no symptoms? You have no symptoms today so you go get a test, it comes back negative. Do you stop worrying about this thing now?

You keep going about your life and continue to have no symptoms. Do you need to go get another test next week?

Where does it stop?

Keep testing every so often until you can get a vaccine? THEN you can finally stop worrying?

you will never get a true number of infections since uninsured people are very unlikely to get tested out of fears they can't afford to get a test. i would only get tested if someone at work or in my neighborhood tested positive, other than that it's a waste of time.

storewanderer wrote: ↑May 10th, 2020, 11:03 am I guess part of the issue is when do you get a test if you have no symptoms? You have no symptoms today so you go get a test, it comes back negative. Do you stop worrying about this thing now?

You keep going about your life and continue to have no symptoms. Do you need to go get another test next week?

Where does it stop?

Keep testing every so often until you can get a vaccine? THEN you can finally stop worrying?

You shouldn't really worry about things that you have no control over. That's counterproductive. Do everything you can to prevent getting or spreading Covid-19 is the first step (The usual washing of the hands, wearing masks to prevent infections if you're asymptomatic, e.t.c...).

The next logical step would be repeated testing. The testing is really about locating people that have the virus, not the people that don't have the virus. As we narrow the results down to the people that have the virus we can isolate them and do effective contact tracing and eventually get back to our normal lives with or without a vaccine.

I'm still amazed we haven't ramped up testing, yet. There's probably a lot more money to be made curing this virus then preventing the spread of it.

FREE testing in Los Angeles County for ALL, regardless of status.

Getting one tomorrow!

veteran+ wrote: ↑May 11th, 2020, 4:51 am FREE testing in Los Angeles County for ALL, regardless of status.

Getting one tomorrow!

What happens once you get the result and it comes back negative? Do you test again after a certain time period? Or only if there is a concern over exposure to the virus or symptoms develop?