Updated 9:45 a.m. April 3: This story has been updated to include comments from America's ER.
Updated noon April 2: This story originally said the Montgomery County Public Health District and the Montgomery County Hospital District warned against using America's ER testing site in The Woodlands. After followup interviews and revised news releases, the story has been clarified.
America's ER has opened a drive-thru coronavirus testing site at Stonebridge Church, located at 1 Stonebridge Church Drive, The Woodlands. For $150, anyone—regardless of symptoms—can be tested for the coronavirus.
However, Misti Willingham, PIO of the Montgomery County Public Health District, said the district has received multiple calls from concerned residents wondering why the the district was charging for the test site. In conjunction with Montgomery County Hospital District, MCPHD issued a statement clarifying that the private testing site is not associated with either entity. Because it is privately owned, the site is subject to different requirements, Willingham said.
An April 2 statement read:
"We understand that many community members may desire to be tested. America’s ER is working to meet the needs of those citizens who wish to be tested, even if they may not currently show signs and symptoms of being COVID-19 positive. If you wish to be tested, America’s ER is one of several locations that may be able to test you and is planning to set up a COVID-19 drive-through testing facility in Montgomery County."
According to America's ER, the entity must charge for its tests because unlike government testing labs that receive the test for free, America's ER is not a public entity and therefore processes its tests at commercial labs. The $150 covers the cost for evaluation and screening, test processing and some of the supplies, staff and testing fees.
"AER is a small local medical practice that receives no government funding or subsidies to support any part of its COVID-19 testing program," an April 2 news release stated.
America's ER is providing the service to help increase access to testing and "flatten the curve," according to the entity's website.
America's ER is managing testing charges in three ways: Those with active health insurance can use their insurance to pay for testing, which may cover all associated costs depending on their health insurance. For those with health insurance that cannot be verified at the time of testing, patients will be charged the $150 testing fee, which will be refunded in full once payment is received from their insurance company. Those without health insurance or those who do not wish to use their insurance may pay for their test with cash or credit card.
