You can now get free at-home rapid tests mailed to your house from the federal government: How Wisconsinites can sign up

January 18, 2022 2:06 PM

Christina Lorey,

Posted: January 18, 2022 2:06 PM

Updated: January 18, 2022 10:25 PM

by Christina Lorey

MADISON, Wis.– COVIDtests.gov, the government’s newest website, is now live, giving everyone the opportunity to have at-home rapid COVID tests mailed to their houses for free.

Originally scheduled to launch Wednesday, White House officials said the site was launched in a beta phase Tuesday and was “operating at limited capacity ahead of its official launch,” which remains scheduled for Wednesday.

Who is eligible?

Everyone, insured or not, can sign up to have at-home rapid tests mailed to their homes, no credit card number required.

Is there a limit?

Yes. Four tests a month, per household.

How do I order them?

On COVIDtests.gov, you will see a blue button 0n the homepage that says ‘Order Free At-Home Tests.’ When you click on it, you will be taken to a new page on the U.S. Postal Service’s website where you will need to fill in your contact information and shipping address.

You won’t be able to select how many test kits you’re ordering: USPS defaults to the limit of four. After filling in your contact and shipping information, you can select ‘Check Out Now.’

If you input your email address, you will receive a confirmation email shortly after checking out. Once your order ships, the USPS says it will send you a tracking number and updates on the expected delivery date.

How soon will I get them?

The tests will ship within 7 to 12 days through the U.S. Postal Service, according to the White House. The first round of tests are expected to begin shipping in late January.

What if there are more than four people in my household?

Right now, families with more than four people are still limited to four tests a month, which the Biden Administration says is to promote “broad access.”

In December, President Joe Biden announced the White House would purchase 500 million at-home tests to kick-start the program. In January, the president announced plans to double the order to one billion tests.

Can I order more tests?

People with private insurance can get an additional eight at-home rapid tests covered each month, under a new rule that took effect last weekend.

“I might take it for granted that I can drive to the nearest Walgreens and get a test or spend $50 on N95 masks, but there are a lot of people in our community who can’t,” said Dr. Jeff Pothof, in response to the launch of covidtests.gov.

“By having a program where these things are both easy to get and low-to-no costs, we start to address some of those disparities.”