“We don’t know why that data isn’t showing up in the FPDS database, as it should be visible and searchable. of Indiana, and Abbott Rapid Dx North America of Florida - could be found in the online databases. But none of the three new rapid-test contracts - awarded to iHealth Labs of California, Roche Diagnostics Corp. contracts valued at $10,000 or more are required to be routinely posted to sam.gov or the Federal Procurement Data System, known as. The retail price climbed as high as $25 for a single test in some pharmacies tales abounded of corporate and wealthy customers hoarding tests for work or holiday use. In the U.S., retailers, companies, schools, hospitals, and everyday shoppers were competing months later to buy swabs in hopes of returning to normalcy. Governments abroad had been buying rapid tests in bulk for over a year, and many national health services distributed free or low-cost tests, for less than $1, to their residents. “Government contracts are ‘public contracts,’ and the taxpayers have a right to know - with very few exceptions -what the government has agreed to buy and at what prices.”Īmericans often pay far more than people in other developed countries for tests, drugs, and medical devices, and the pandemic has accentuated those differences. “The prices in government contracts should not be secret,” according to its website. The reluctance to share pricing details flies against basic notions of cost control and accountability - and that’s just quoting from a long-held position by the Justice Department. Subscribe to KFF Health News' free Morning Briefing. The cost - and, more importantly, the rate per test - would help demonstrate who is getting the best deal for protection in these covid times: the consumer or the corporation. How much is the government paying for each test? And what were the terms of the agreements? The government won’t yet say, even though, by law, this information should be available. The much-touted purchase was the latest tranche in trillions of dollars in public spending in response to the pandemic. The Defense Department organized the bidding and announced in mid-January, after a limited competitive process, that three companies were awarded contracts totaling nearly $2 billion for 380 million over-the-counter antigen tests, all to be delivered by March 14. And the government vowed that its purchase could provide the tests faster and cheaper so people, by simply swabbing at home, could quell the spread of covid. Prices for some test kits cracked the hundred-dollar mark. It can be republished for free.Ī surge of covid infections spurred wide demand for over-the-counter antigen tests during the holidays: Clinics were overwhelmed with people seeking tests and the few off-the-shelf brands were nearly impossible to find at pharmacies or even online via Amazon. If the corona warning app detects an increased risk of infection, please call either the Gesundheitsamt or your general practitioner.This story also ran on USA Today. Tests following a warning from the coronavirus warning app The costs for self-tests may not be reimbursed by statutory health insurance funds. The rapid tests don't represent a benefit of the health insurance and cannot be covered by us. Those affected should self-isolate prior to receiving the test result. If you are experiencing any symptoms, call your GP. The test is settled via the eHealth card. As such, insurees do not incur any additional costs. If the test is carried out by a doctor, TK also covers the laboratory costs amounting to 27.30 EUR per analysis in addition to the treatment costs. As per the recommendations of the Robert Koch Institute, testing is required for those with grounds to suspect they have been infected. Only the attending doctor can decide whether a PCR test is to be performed.
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