CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Imagine driving up to a free COVID-19 testing site only to be told you have to pay. That’s what some people had to go through at the Yes No Covidtesting site on McArdle Drive in Corpus Christi today.
However, around 3 in the afternoon, KRIS6 was told the test is for free for everyone.
The location is located directly across the street of the La Palmera Mall’s JC Penny, adjacent to the Long John Silver’s.
Yes No COVID had said earlier in the day if you have insurance through Medicare or Medicaid it would be $100. However, they said you will be reimbursed.
Today the testing site on McArdle was accepting appointments only because they have a limited 5 parking spots. However, the location on S-P-I-D and Airline in Corpus Christi was able to take drive-ups. Those that are insured are expected to show an ID and proof of insurance.
Yes No Covid says they check your social security number and it will pop up in their system whether you have insurance or not. Why tell people that present Medicare or Medicaid insurance they’ll have to pay?
“I really don’t know for sure. It has to do because Medicaid and Medicare is through the government and we’re contractors…so we’re just trying to get that set up to where we can take the Medicaid and the medicare,” Katheren Erickson, a tester from Yes No COVID said.
Richard Meiggs is a local resident that showed up for his appointment at about 8:30 in the morning, only to be told he would have to pay $100, and all because he has insurance.
“I would think that that is probably a target age that you would want to make sure that people have access. We don’t have a lot of money, we’re retired, but that seems to be excluded,” Meiggs said.
He says the advertisement was misleading and that seniors shouldn’t be misled, so he left.
In comparison, a worker at the pharmacy at CVS on Staples in Corpus Christi says when you sign up for a test online, if you mark that you are showing symptoms then it’s free through Medicare and Medicaid.
However, she says if you fill out the online form and say you don’t have symptoms then you could be paying around $160.
One man did say everything at the Yes No Covid testing went smoothly and that he got tested so he could protect his family in case he tested positive after 6 people at his work tested positive. He was not charged.
“They asked me for my insurance card and ID and that’s it,” Oscar Novoa said. “I came out negative, so that makes my day.”
Yes No Covid has locations all across Texas including San Antonio, Austin, Laredo, and Dallas.
