Original from: 360DX

Quest Diagnostics said Thursday that it is participating in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Increasing Community Access to Testing (ICATT) for COVID-19 program.

Through the program, Quest will provide $0 out-of-pocket COVID-19 testing to qualifying uninsured individuals at roughly 1,200 of the company's 2,100 patient service centers.

The CDC chose Quest through a competitive bidding process. Financial and other terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

To qualify for the program, individuals must complete a screening questionnaire using Quest's QuestDirect service. Uninsured individuals who qualify will then be directed to schedule an appointment at an ICATT-participating Quest service center. To qualify, individuals must be symptomatic, have had a recent exposure to someone with COVID-19, and/or other health risks.

"Through this relationship with CDC, Quest will extend access to our COVID-19 diagnostic services in underserved communities, helping to close equity gaps in the nation's pandemic response," Ruth Clements, VP and general manager of infectious disease and immunology at Quest, said in a statement. "We commend CDC for harnessing the power of public-private collaboration to broaden access to critical COVID-19 laboratory testing for those most in need. By making high-quality laboratory testing financially accessible, this CDC-brokered model may help contain the spread of SARS-CoV-2 and other contagions."

Source: Quest Participating in CDC Program to Provide $0 Out-of-Pocket COVID-19 Testing