COVID TESTING COST

a texas man paid $500 for a covid test out of his pocket

Pocket.

Diana zoga (dee-ah-nah zoh-gah) reports.

:00 :21 1:16 (natsot: "i am sick as a dog.") when luis correa came down with a fever... chills... and sore throat... he went to an urgent care clinic for a covid-19 test - where he was told to expect results in 2 or 3 days.

By day four... no word... and correa... who has high-risk family members couldn't stomach waiting any longer.

(sot: luis correa - patient) "i'm afraid i'm going to get a lot of people sick... in my life has to continue... right like, i know that i need to find out either a positive or a negative i mean what's the case?"

Correa went to a stand-alone e-r... for a rapid test.

It confirmed he was positive.

Information... that cost him 500 dollars out-of-pocket.

(sot: luis correa - patient) "thankfully, i have the resources to be able to pay $500 for a test, but those are the people that don't have that, there are other people that are struggling to even get a test to start with."

Federal law requires covid tests and office-visit costs to be covered by insurance companies --- in a cost-sharing measure during the pandemic.

Correa says his insurance covered his first test - sent out to a lab.

The test taken at the e-r isn't covered.

Doctor harvey castro president of trusted e-r... the one correa visited...says it's transparent about the cost --- and the price reflects the e-r's higher overhead.

(sot: harvey castro/president, trusted er) "we're testing you but that's 24/7 so the difference is we're open 24/7.

We're doing the test right there, you're seeing a doctor, a nurse, a full evaluation.

(sot: luis correa - patient) "i think that it should be mandated to have regulations in the state of texas or maybe nationwide when a pandemic like this hits."

Correa says... he was left with no good choices.

Either wait for test results that, he says, ultimately took eight days.

Or pay a premium... for critical answers... in a pandemic.

(sot: luis correa - patient) "having gone through it, and i'm still going through it... it puts your mind in a different