Walgreens starting to charge for Travel COVID tests

[Mommabo]

Sorry forgot the link:
 

https://rapidtestandtrace.com/product/observed-test-for-travel/?fbclid=IwAR0bo0mxML7Ysl5JvPAUjC-LH9bqLpWNXTwyBqZQUgrypgqA31PoPAT5iSs

[lovesthebeach2]

6 hours ago, FromSea2ShiningSea said:

 

 

These were posted awhile ago by someone on CC.

 

https://rapidtestandtrace.com/product/observed-test-for-travel/?fbclid=IwAR0bo0mxML7Ysl5JvPAUjC-LH9bqLpWNXTwyBqZQUgrypgqA31PoPAT5iSs

 

https://ihealthlabs.com/products/ihealth-verified-covid-test-service

The link for ihealth says sold out….

 

4 hours ago, Mommabo said:

Sorry forgot the link:
 

https://rapidtestandtrace.com/product/observed-test-for-travel/?fbclid=IwAR0bo0mxML7Ysl5JvPAUjC-LH9bqLpWNXTwyBqZQUgrypgqA31PoPAT5iSs

do you know if this rapid test is only for the ihealth tests? I never got that type for our free tests. 

[ocean sounds]

5 hours ago, Mommabo said:

Sorry forgot the link:
 

https://rapidtestandtrace.com/product/observed-test-for-travel/?fbclid=IwAR0bo0mxML7Ysl5JvPAUjC-LH9bqLpWNXTwyBqZQUgrypgqA31PoPAT5iSs

could you post a picture of your results email  (cover up names) so we can see what is included on the page we will show to Port personnel?

 

thanks!!

[happy cruzer]

19 hours ago, not-enough-cruising said:

Will book a vacation that costs $1000 or more, but are going to draw the line at a $25 Covid test?

Well, the line is drawn really at free, non-intrusive and easy.  Played the testing game to get cruising restarted because:

 

1)  Walgreens provided "free" testing with no need to provide anything more than name, birth date, and email address.

 

2)  No need to use any personal device like a phone or computer setup.

 

And yes, I do realize the taxpayer's are paying for the "free" test, but obviously someone decided that getting travel going again was worth the "cost".

 

So yep, if there is not another option provided then other forms of travel are preferable.  We are all different and have different tolerances.

 

 

[FLConnie]

10 hours ago, DaKahuna said:

I do not know if it is because I have:

High Blood Pressure,

High Cholesterol,

Diabetes,

am over 70, 

and my insurance is via Medicare but when I went through the scheduling process it did not say anything about paying. 
 

I read on another board that it is still covered by MEdicare. 

[Biker19]

1 hour ago, lovesthebeach2 said:

do you know if this rapid test is only for the ihealth tests? I

It should work for any FDA approved tests.

[Biker19]

6 hours ago, Mommabo said:

I have been reading these boards picking up tips, but usually don’t join discussions as it’s not generally my thing, but this information might be helpful to others and I know I would have been lost without all the previous posts about testing, so I thought I would pay it forward.  

Welcome to CC.

[OCSC Mike]

1 hour ago, lovesthebeach2 said:

do you know if this rapid test is only for the ihealth tests? I never got that type for our free tests. 

 

When you make an appointment with rapidtestandtrace it lists about 8 tests you can choose from and also has an option for "other" and then you type the name of the test.

 

As mentioned above, you can use any legit test you want.

[cestro1]

Has rapidtestandtrace really worked for anyone?  I cruise a week from today and don't know what to do.

[OCSC Mike]

18 minutes ago, cestro1 said:

Has rapidtestandtrace really worked for anyone?  I cruise a week from today and don't know what to do.

 

Yes, have seen many reports of it working. I made appointments there today after a quick live chat with customer service. They were very helpful and responsive. Sign up was easy, you get sent a link to start your online appointment (they use Microsoft Teams but you don't need to download it unless you want to, you can just have it open in a web browser).

 

FWIW, I was Walgreens' biggest fan. I also looked into OnPoint, which has been $10-15 at times (they change their prices), but I didn't love some of the stuff I had read and for an extra $5/person, I chose rapidtestandtrace.

 

Just one man's opinions of course. If you have questions or concerns, I suggest going on their live chat and talking to them.

Edited July 1, 2022 by OCSC Mike

[topnole]

16 hours ago, molly361 said:

They are going to ask that same question on the pre boarding health questionairre

My guess is the answers on the pre boarding questions will look different?   😂

 

A lot of cruisers will now be lying on these.     They still have to answer yes or no on the travel question and obviously almost no one is doing the test except for the fact they are cruising (regardless of their allergies or other exposures).  So an honest answer would have to be yes on travel.  Then they will say no on the ship health questionnaire for the symptoms or reasons they gave to Walgreens for getting a free test. So these people lie so the taxpayers get to pay for their test and not them individually.  But some of these same people will preach their ethics on here all day long  😂😂😂.   

[Biker19]

58 minutes ago, topnole said:

A lot of cruisers will now be lying on these.  

Like they didn't pre-COVID?

[topnole]

2 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

Like they didn't pre-COVID?

True.  But before they could probably do the mental gymnastics to justify it.  But answering the questions differently would take Olympic mental gymnastics skill to find a moral relativism argument in their minds.  😂😂

[molly361]

9 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

Like they didn't pre-COVID?

It's just that some are preaching to the choir about their "honesty" 😇  For Walgreens test yes for Royal's Health Question not so much

[bandp407]

18 hours ago, RobertoF said:

Quick clarification and update: when we made our Walgreens appointments it did not ask all of the questions about exposure, etc.  So we said the purpose of the test was for travel.  Perhaps if we had said we had exposure when we got there they would have done the test for free.  I don't know.  I just know they said we would have to pay for our tests when we showed up at 11:30am today.

 

The update part is we were able to get an afternoon appointment with CVS.  CVS also asked about exposure, symptoms, etc.  We truthfully said that we had been exposed recently to a family friend who tested positive yesterday, and also that we had recently been in a situation where social distancing was difficult (we just got off a different cruise on Monday).  So I guess with those answers we qualified for the free test.  We did the tests this afternoon.  CVS was very efficient and we just got back our negative results!  So off to Celebrity Equinox on Saturday.  Good luck to everyone getting tested.  I would suggest using CVS because Walgreens seems a bit disorganized right now.

Thanks for sharing Roberto. I learned about the Walgreens change this morning. We sail on the Equinox next Sunday. The 10th. CVS shows 2 different antigen tests, the immediate in store & the one within 2 hours. Which one did you do? Have a great cruise on the beautiful Equinox! 

[Oceansaway17]

26 minutes ago, bandp407 said:

Thanks for sharing Roberto. I learned about the Walgreens change this morning. We sail on the Equinox next Sunday. The 10th. CVS shows 2 different antigen tests, the immediate in store & the one within 2 hours. Which one did you do? Have a great cruise on the beautiful Equinox! 

well CVS makes you make an appointment with the nurse and go into store.  They take Blood Pressure and chat a while and then you get the quick test and result in the store before you leave.  The price is similar to Walgreens which still just wants you to sit in car for the test.   So price wise almost the same but Walgreens appears to me to be less hassle. 

For now I will use Walgreens and hop the pre testing will end by Oct if not sooner.

 

Right now more concerns on weather and airplane shortage of crew.  It is always something these days and so paying for a test is fine with me for now.  Just want a plane to show up and take to me port city.

[debandbill]

Verified that Walgreens is charging as of yesterday.  I (and my family) booked a test last Tuesday for today so it was showing as no cost when I booked but that does not matter to them..they are still charging which, I think, is a poor decision by the corporation.  I was able to submit my Medicare insurance and it did cover my test completely but my family is scrambing to get a proctored test today.  So stressful for all.

[Gregg00ss]

I just did a mock booking on Walgreens, said it was for travel, no symptoms, etc..  Put my insurance info in and it let me book an appointment and said nothing about costing anything.  I have very good medical insurance so I'm not sure if my insurance is covering it no questions asked or if this is an oversite and Walgreens isn't even running insurance until you show up to see what you owe.  

[bandp407]

As stressful as this whole testing issue is, it is an even greater stress for those flying to the port. What a mess with all of the cancellations. Good Luck to everyone needing to fly !! 

I decided to put a call into the Captains Club . I waited on hold for 1 1/2 hours but wanted to vent & let Celebrity know what we are now faced with. The cost combined with the appointments only available 3 days out. Once the masks on planes & testing to enter the US ended, IMO, this testing should end as well. A few weeks ago a family sailing on the Equinox had a negative Covid test 2 days before & then started having symptoms the 1st night of the cruise. By Sunday morning , they all tested positive. 

I did learn something on the call to the Captains Club that I was not aware of. There is testing at the pier for a cost of $55 pp. If all else fails, we have another option. 
 

In health , Bon Voyage to us all!

[not-enough-cruising]

19 minutes ago, bandp407 said:

As stressful as this whole testing issue is, it is an even greater stress for those flying to the port. What a mess with all of the cancellations. Good Luck to everyone needing to fly !! 

I decided to put a call into the Captains Club . I waited on hold for 1 1/2 hours but wanted to vent & let Celebrity know what we are now faced with. The cost combined with the appointments only available 3 days out. Once the masks on planes & testing to enter the US ended, IMO, this testing should end as well. A few weeks ago a family sailing on the Equinox had a negative Covid test 2 days before & then started having symptoms the 1st night of the cruise. By Sunday morning , they all tested positive. 

I did learn something on the call to the Captains Club that I was not aware of. There is testing at the pier for a cost of $55 pp. If all else fails, we have another option. 
 

In health , Bon Voyage to us all!

This is just another example of the double standard for the cruise lines when it comes to the CDC; the same agency that reduced requirements for some, refuses to acknowledge others.

[SherriZ366]

57 minutes ago, debandbill said:

Verified that Walgreens is charging as of yesterday.  I (and my family) booked a test last Tuesday for today so it was showing as no cost when I booked but that does not matter to them..they are still charging which, I think, is a poor decision by the corporation.  I was able to submit my Medicare insurance and it did cover my test completely but my family is scrambing to get a proctored test today.  So stressful for all.

We have been doing the emed, which has been less stressful for us.  But Walgrees has always be a viable backup.  Glad to hear that Medicare picked up the cost of the test.  

Hope you family were all able to bock tests.  

[BobNoxious]

12 hours ago, Mommabo said:

Sorry forgot the link:
 

https://rapidtestandtrace.com/product/observed-test-for-travel/?fbclid=IwAR0bo0mxML7Ysl5JvPAUjC-LH9bqLpWNXTwyBqZQUgrypgqA31PoPAT5iSs

So this site uses the kits (orange box) that we received from the government?

[debandbill]

5 minutes ago, SherriZ366 said:

We have been doing the emed, which has been less stressful for us.  But Walgrees has always be a viable backup.  Glad to hear that Medicare picked up the cost of the test.  

Hope you family were all able to bock tests.  

There are seven of us leaving Sunday out of Galveston.  Three including me have negative tests in hand.  Son and his crew are thankfully scheduled for today at Rapid Test & Trace .  With Walgreens now charging $129 pp, the difference in cost was $400.  That's a lot and another reason the sudden change of policy is terrible. Agree the proctored tests are probably less stressful.

 

[debandbill]

4 minutes ago, BobNoxious said:

So this site uses the kits (orange box) that we received from the government?

Yes.

[S.A.M.J.R.]

A number of people are saying Royal needs to cancel the test requirement.  Isn't that requirement from the CDC?  Hasn't Royal (and other lines) petitioned the CDC to stop the mandatory tests?