The government is issuing free COVID-19 testing kits per household. However, the catch is, each American household is limited to only four tests. You are not able to reorder tests or request for more if you have more people in your home.
The main reason why the government is limiting the tests is because of how much it costs. They have purchased 500 million tests for about $4 billion dollars from private healthcare corporations. Our healthcare system is a for-profit system which means that private companies make money off people buying their healthcare products. Pharmaceutical companies are one of the biggest manufacturers. Unfortunately, capitalism overruns our country and crucial necessities are typically neglected because of the cost. We see this with homelessness where the government doesn’t allocate enough funds to help them, and it’s also evident in student loan debt where each administration refuses to achieve student loan forgiveness even though college education is catered as the “only way to gain success.”
I can go on and on about this dilemma. I can go on and on about the officials we elect. Congresswomen and men sit in the Capitol and continuously argue about funding and bills, and they make it difficult to achieve success. These officials put their political beliefs before those of their constituents, and this goes for both democrats and republicans. We’ve seen it with the BBB bill which aimed to help do things like extend child tax credit and lower drug prescription costs. Something every person in America can benefit from, and just one person’s vote stopped it from passing.
Coming back from my tangent, although it’s not much, these four tests sent to your home are not useless. It can help save time from waiting in line at a testing site and making an appointment. Currently, appointment slots fill up fast each day. They’re quick and easy to use from the comfort of your home, and you can get the results right away. Use this link to order your tests from your mobile device and they should be shipped to you within 7-12 days. Even though you might not need them ASAP, it is good to keep them stored for the times that you do.