At-Home COVID-19 Tests and Collection Kits Get tested for COVID-19 to protect yourself and your loved ones. Can't make it to a testing site? At-home COVID-19 tests are an option. You can take one anywhere for results, regardless of your vaccination status and even if you do not have symptoms. At-home tests include a nasal swab for you to collect samples from your nose: Rapid home tests give you results in minutes. PCR home collection kits require that you send your swab back for testing and give you results in days. Many federal and state programs provide free, easy access to at-home kits. Version en Español Testing FAQs On This Page 3 Ways to Get Rapid At-Home Tests Request PCR Home Collection Kit Using Health Insurance for At-Home Tests How To Use At-Home Tests What to Do After Testing 3 Ways to Get Rapid At-Home Tests (Results in Minutes) Order Free Rapid At-Home Tests from the Federal Program Every U.S. household is eligible for two orders of four free at-home tests (eight tests total). No ID, credit card or health insurance required. Tests typically ship within 7-12 days of order through the U.S. Postal Service. Get Info/Order Free Tests Buy Online or At Local Pharmacy Using Health Insurance Rapid at-home tests are available to buy around the U.S. Check with online retail pharmacies or your local pharmacy for availability. Check if you can buy using insurance or get reimbursed. How to Buy With Insurance Check Availability at Community Organizations Free rapid at-home tests may be available through community health centers, rural health clinics or a health department near you. Check with local community organizations for availability. More Information Below How to Get a PCR Home Collection Kit (Results in 3 Days) Request a Home PCR Collection Kit from Labcorp OnDemand The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is working to ensure every North Carolinian can access COVID-19 testing. NCDHHS has partnered with NC-based Labcorp to provide no-cost, at-home COVID-19 collection kits. If you have COVID-19 symptoms or think you may need to get tested, please get tested. Results are typically available 1-2 days after the sample arrives at the lab. Who is eligible? Anyone 18 and older in NC can request a kit for themselves online using the steps below. Parents or guardians can request a kit for ages 2-17. Four Easy Steps to Request Your Kit Visit Labcorp OnDemand. Follow the instructions to request your kit. Your kit will be mailed via FedEx Overnight shipping. Register your kit and collect your sample. Carefully follow the instructions in your collection kit. These instructions tell you how to register your kit online and how to use the swab provided to collect your sample. Mail your sample back to the lab. Use the prepaid shipping envelope in your kit to mail your sample. Check your results. Use the secure Labcorp OnDemandTM account you made in Step 1 to check your test results. Results are typically available 1-2 days after the sample arrives at the lab. How to Use Health Insurance to Buy At-Home Tests Have private insurance coverage? Your health plan likely allows you to get up to eight at-home rapid tests per month per person. The test will either be free at the time of sale or reimbursed through your insurance. If you pay upfront, be sure to keep you receipt and submit a claim. You can get at-home tests online, through a pharmacy or at a store. Check your insurance's policy on at-home test reimbursement: Blue Cross Blue Shield United Cigna Aetna Anthem Don't see your health insurance provider listed? Please check their website. Have Medicaid coverage? North Carolina Medicaid program guidelines allow you to get free at-home COVID rapid tests at no cost. Beneficiaries can select at-home tests at your preferred pharmacy and show your NC Medicaid ID card for no out-of-pocket cost. The pharmacist will bill Medicaid on your behalf. Questions? Contact Medicaid and NC Health Choice Claims and Billing at (800)-688-6696. Have Medicare coverage? You can access testing through your health care provider or local pharmacist. Or, pick up free at-home rapid tests at Medicare-certified health clinics. Currently, original Medicare does not pay for at-home tests for individuals’ purchases. However, Medicare Advantage plans may offer coverage and payment for at-home COVID-19 tests. We recommend consumers covered by Medicare Advantage to check their plan. Getting At-Home Tests in Your Community Don't have insurance and can't wait for tests to reach you in the mail? These community organizations may have rapid at-home tests available at low or no-cost: Community health centers Rural health clinics Local health departments Other community-based organizations Call your nearest health center or health department to check availability. Find Your Local Health Department Find a Participating Center or Clinic How to Use At-Home Tests For general guidance on using at-home tests and what to do after you have your result, please review our At-Home Testing Guidance for the General Public (Spanish). Still have questions? Review Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines, including when to consider self-testing — also referred to as home tests or over-the counter (OTC) tests — and how to use these tests, as well as an Instructional Video: How to Interpret Results. FDA-Approved At-Home Tests: Comprehensive List After Testing Steps to Take After TestingDid You Test Positive? Find Treatment How to Use the iHealth COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Test More How-To Test Videos
At-Home COVID-19 Tests and Collection Kits Get tested for COVID-19 to protect yourself and your loved ones. Can't make it to a testing site? At-home COVID-19 tests are an option. You can take one anywhere for results, regardless of your vaccination status and even if you do not have symptoms. At-home tests include a nasal swab for you to collect samples from your nose: Rapid home tests give you results in minutes. PCR home collection kits require that you send your swab back for testing and give you results in days. Many federal and state programs provide free, easy access to at-home kits. Version en Español Testing FAQs On This Page 3 Ways to Get Rapid At-Home Tests Request PCR Home Collection Kit Using Health Insurance for At-Home Tests How To Use At-Home Tests What to Do After Testing 3 Ways to Get Rapid At-Home Tests (Results in Minutes) Order Free Rapid At-Home Tests from the Federal Program Every U.S. household is eligible for two orders of four free at-home tests (eight tests total). No ID, credit card or health insurance required. Tests typically ship within 7-12 days of order through the U.S. Postal Service. Get Info/Order Free Tests Buy Online or At Local Pharmacy Using Health Insurance Rapid at-home tests are available to buy around the U.S. Check with online retail pharmacies or your local pharmacy for availability. Check if you can buy using insurance or get reimbursed. How to Buy With Insurance Check Availability at Community Organizations Free rapid at-home tests may be available through community health centers, rural health clinics or a health department near you. Check with local community organizations for availability. More Information Below How to Get a PCR Home Collection Kit (Results in 3 Days) Request a Home PCR Collection Kit from Labcorp OnDemand The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is working to ensure every North Carolinian can access COVID-19 testing. NCDHHS has partnered with NC-based Labcorp to provide no-cost, at-home COVID-19 collection kits. If you have COVID-19 symptoms or think you may need to get tested, please get tested. Results are typically available 1-2 days after the sample arrives at the lab. Who is eligible? Anyone 18 and older in NC can request a kit for themselves online using the steps below. Parents or guardians can request a kit for ages 2-17. Four Easy Steps to Request Your Kit Visit Labcorp OnDemand. Follow the instructions to request your kit. Your kit will be mailed via FedEx Overnight shipping. Register your kit and collect your sample. Carefully follow the instructions in your collection kit. These instructions tell you how to register your kit online and how to use the swab provided to collect your sample. Mail your sample back to the lab. Use the prepaid shipping envelope in your kit to mail your sample. Check your results. Use the secure Labcorp OnDemandTM account you made in Step 1 to check your test results. Results are typically available 1-2 days after the sample arrives at the lab. How to Use Health Insurance to Buy At-Home Tests Have private insurance coverage? Your health plan likely allows you to get up to eight at-home rapid tests per month per person. The test will either be free at the time of sale or reimbursed through your insurance. If you pay upfront, be sure to keep you receipt and submit a claim. You can get at-home tests online, through a pharmacy or at a store. Check your insurance's policy on at-home test reimbursement: Blue Cross Blue Shield United Cigna Aetna Anthem Don't see your health insurance provider listed? Please check their website. Have Medicaid coverage? North Carolina Medicaid program guidelines allow you to get free at-home COVID rapid tests at no cost. Beneficiaries can select at-home tests at your preferred pharmacy and show your NC Medicaid ID card for no out-of-pocket cost. The pharmacist will bill Medicaid on your behalf. Questions? Contact Medicaid and NC Health Choice Claims and Billing at (800)-688-6696. Have Medicare coverage? You can access testing through your health care provider or local pharmacist. Or, pick up free at-home rapid tests at Medicare-certified health clinics. Currently, original Medicare does not pay for at-home tests for individuals’ purchases. However, Medicare Advantage plans may offer coverage and payment for at-home COVID-19 tests. We recommend consumers covered by Medicare Advantage to check their plan. Getting At-Home Tests in Your Community Don't have insurance and can't wait for tests to reach you in the mail? These community organizations may have rapid at-home tests available at low or no-cost: Community health centers Rural health clinics Local health departments Other community-based organizations Call your nearest health center or health department to check availability. Find Your Local Health Department Find a Participating Center or Clinic How to Use At-Home Tests For general guidance on using at-home tests and what to do after you have your result, please review our At-Home Testing Guidance for the General Public (Spanish). Still have questions? Review Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines, including when to consider self-testing — also referred to as home tests or over-the counter (OTC) tests — and how to use these tests, as well as an Instructional Video: How to Interpret Results. FDA-Approved At-Home Tests: Comprehensive List After Testing Steps to Take After TestingDid You Test Positive? Find Treatment How to Use the iHealth COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Test More How-To Test Videos
