SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Bay Area biotech firm renegade.bio today announced its decision to continue no-cost COVID-19 testing for uninsured Bay Area community members who are symptomatic at its Test the People testing sites in Oakland, San Francisco and Alameda. The decision was made in response to the federal government’s announcement to end the COVID-19 Uninsured Program under the Health Resources and Services Administration on March 23, which reimbursed testing providers of the uninsured.
Renegade.bio established its Test the People sites in Bay Area underserved communities to address the healthcare disparity in access to COVID-19 testing and treatment. Roughly 16 percent to 20 percent of its Test the People participants are uninsured.
To encourage asymptomatic people to continue getting tested and help keep their community safe, renegade.bio has also established a discount code to help offset the out-of-pocket cost. Asymptomatic individuals who enter the discount code, COMMUNITY, when registering for a paid COVID-19 test through renegade.bio’s website, will receive a 50 percent discount, reducing the cost of a COVID-19 test from $200 to $100.
Renegade.bio is working with partners in the public health and non-profit sectors to support no-cost testing of all uninsured individuals to address their increased risk of contracting and transmitting COVID-19 without access to testing and treatment.
“At renegade.bio, we understand the government’s desire to end the pandemic and return to normal while saving money; however, this is a bigger problem. The fact that we’re discussing in 2022 what to do with uninsured people during a pandemic is a policy failure that must be addressed,” said Craig Rouskey, CEO and co-founder of renegade.bio. “As a service to our uninsured community members, we will cover the cost of their symptomatic testing. That is, if uninsured community members are sick and want to be tested but don’t have insurance, we will test them at no cost. It is heartbreaking, but without external funding, we can no longer continue to cover the cost to test asymptomatic, uninsured individuals.”
Symptomatic uninsured individuals will be asked to attest to their symptoms prior to receiving a no-cost test.
In addition to supporting the Bay Area community, departments of public health and U.S. COVID-19 surveillance efforts through renegade.bio-funded symptomatic testing, the company will accelerate its sequencing services on positive samples to identify and track emerging COVID-19 variants and will continue to actively monitor the health of historically underserved Bay Area communities.
About renegade.bio
Renegade.bio is a purpose-driven, LGBTQ-led, public benefit corporation demanding better health and healthcare for all people. With roots in activism, renegade.bio’s team focuses on improving access to diagnostics. It develops health solutions for everyone — especially historically underserved populations, such as women, queer and BIPOC communities.
For information about the company, products and services, visit www.renegade.bio.
