eMed tests

[njkruzer]

1 minute ago, drewdrewcruiser said:

These are the free tests you get from the government. 

The free tests are not proctored tests and cannot be used for proctored tests and are not good for boarding the ship.

[outtoseacruise]

I received another eMed 6-Pack this morning and the expiration date on them is 05/07/2023. I have 19 others I ordered in the last 2 months that all have expiration dates in the 1st Quarter of 2023.

 

FWIW United Health is reimbursing me $96 of the $150 spent. I am still waiting to see how much Anthem is reimbursing on my X's coverage for the ones I bought under my daughters names. 

 

 

[SRF]

21 hours ago, drewdrewcruiser said:

These are the free tests you get from the government. 

 

Not all of them are iHealth.  My first batch was not.  The second one (I just opened it) are.

[not-enough-cruising]

21 hours ago, njkruzer said:

The free tests are not proctored tests and cannot be used for proctored tests and are not good for boarding the ship.

The free tests you get from the government , if they are the ones in then orange and white box, can have a proctor appointment added to them by the user  for $20

https://ihealthlabs.com/products/ihealth-verified-covid-test-service

 

[RedIguana]

They recently granted an update to push the expiration out to 15 months. If your expiration on the box is sometime this fall, in reality it will be sometime in 2023 (look at made and expire dates...if roughly 11-12 months apart, add three months to expiration). I had ordered 6 back in Sept 21 for Oct and Jan cruises. Was able to use for Oct, but expired a week before my Jan cruise with the 12 month extension, so ordered 6 more (have more 2022 cruises). I was then able to use the older ones for my March cruise as the 15 month expiry date was granted.

[Ashland]

Can other extended family members use the eMed tests I purchased by just setting up their own Novica acct ?

[not-enough-cruising]

30 minutes ago, Ashland said:

Can other extended family members use the eMed tests I purchased by just setting up their own Novica acct ?

Anyone can use the tests, regardless of who purchased them 

[britty1]

Not enough cruising, that is some great info about spending $40 for two people to test using the free tests. Great thank you.

[flamingos]

On 3/23/2022 at 9:57 AM, not-enough-cruising said:

The free tests you get from the government , if they are the ones in then orange and white box, can have a proctor appointment added to them by the user  for $20

 

 I just ordered my 6.  🙂    After the insurance reimbursement, they will come out to $16.50 each.

[britty1]

Anyone using IHEALTH proctor service to get your negative test and board ship, please report back. Thanks

[Coralc]

On 3/22/2022 at 9:14 AM, njkruzer said:

The free tests are not proctored tests and cannot be used for proctored tests and are not good for boarding the ship.

There is an option to have them proctored with telehealth, for $20-just like emed tests. 

https://ihealthlabs.com/products/ihealth-verified-covid-test-service

 

I just sent emails to IHealth and to Royal Caribbean, asking if they are acceptable for cruising. They should be, they are CDC compliant, proctored tests. 

[njkruzer]

30 minutes ago, Coralc said:

There is an option to have them proctored with telehealth, for $20-just like emed tests. 

https://ihealthlabs.com/products/ihealth-verified-covid-test-service

 

I just sent emails to IHealth and to Royal Caribbean, asking if they are acceptable for cruising. They should be, they are CDC compliant, proctored tests. 

Hope it works.  I just want to be clear that unless proctored they are not acceptable 

[britty1]

Might be a good choice for back up plan. Really want to do CVS or Walgreens before we fly out.

[outtoseacruise]

Update on reimbursement for with Anthem BC/BS. Not sure how they did the math but they are only reimbursing my X for my daughters eMed Tests at $7.24 each. Well below the Federal guidelines of a minimum of $12 per test. Big difference compared to my United reimbursing @ $16 per test more than the Federal guidelines.

 

Also for anyone that has used the State/County Testing site at Barnett Park in Orlando today is the last day they will be open for testing. It was on Fox 35 this morning that it would be closing. 

[bonsai3s]

Thanks everyone!...convinced...we WILL order Emed or Optum.

Is one better than the other?

How long did it take to be delivered?

Can anyone please kindly tell us what hours/time of the day you've used the Emed or Optum? How early? How late? PST, CST, EST...or has anyone used it while in Europe? Rome? Copenhagen?

Thank you.

 

[BND]

7 minutes ago, bonsai3s said:

Thanks everyone!...convinced...we WILL order Emed or Optum.

Is one better than the other?

How long did it take to be delivered?

Can anyone please kindly tell us what hours/time of the day you've used the Emed or Optum? How early? How late? PST, CST, EST...or has anyone used it while in Europe? Rome? Copenhagen?

Thank you.

 

They're the exact same tests (Abbott) but come in different quantities on each site.  Just got mine in under 48 hours.  The telemed is open 24/7 but the results need to be dated within 2 days of your cruise.

Edited March 25, 2022 by BND

[njkruzer]

3 minutes ago, BND said:

They're the exact same tests (Abbott) but come in different quantities on each site.  Just got mine in under 48 hours.  The telemed is open 24/7 but the results need to be dated within 2 days of your cruise.

Ditto. 

[Aquahound]

10 minutes ago, bonsai3s said:

Thanks everyone!...convinced...we WILL order Emed or Optum.

Is one better than the other?

How long did it take to be delivered?

Can anyone please kindly tell us what hours/time of the day you've used the Emed or Optum? How early? How late? PST, CST, EST...or has anyone used it while in Europe? Rome? Copenhagen?

Thank you.

 

 

I'd say Optum if you only want/need 2.  Otherwise, go Emed since their minimum is 6.  

 

I just got mine from Optum in 2 days.  

[seapad]

Optum is a 2pack = $69.99 (free shipping), so works out to $35/kit 

Emed is 6 packs = $150 + shipping. Approx $30 per kit including shipping 

 

Both are fast 2 days shipping, exact same kit. 

All tests regardless whether you bought from Optum or Emed will need to be proctored through the SAME people: Emed portal.  

[billslowsky]

9 minutes ago, seapad said:

Optum is a 2pack = $69.99 (free shipping), so works out to $35/kit 

Emed is 6 packs = $150 + shipping. Approx $30 per kit including shipping 

 

Both are fast 2 days shipping, exact same kit. 

All tests regardless whether you bought from Optum or Emed will need to be proctored through the SAME people: Emed portal.  

I bought through Optum and paid with my spending account (which they paid but then rejected since I didn't have an insurance EOB... so I filed that and haven't hear back).

 

I took the proctored test today through the combination of Navica and eMed.  Very brief wait after logging on, but make sure you are registered on the sites or you can't do it.  Total time was 25 minutes which included 15 minutes for the test to process itself.  The "guides" stick to a script and I couldn't always understand what they were saying; ask them to repeat and they do exactly that. 

 

It's just like the free at-home test, jam the qtip up both nostrils and then stick it into some liquid and wait for the line(s) to appear.  We passed so I give it a positive review!  

 

A record of the result is sent to you as a pdf attachment to an email (it's passworded by your DOB) and also saved within the Navica site.   I downloaded the pdf so I don't have to have wifi to show it.

[bonsai3s]

Thanks again everyone! 

Exactly all the information we were looking for.

This is why we love Cruise Critic. 

 

[mk-ultra]

Disregard

Edited March 25, 2022 by mk-ultra

[bonsai3s]

When doing the test in a hotel, can you use your smart phone or do you need a computer/laptop? Thanks.

[IndyCapt]

7 minutes ago, bonsai3s said:

When doing the test in a hotel, can you use your smart phone or do you need a computer/laptop? Thanks.

You can use your phone. 

[travelhound]

On 3/21/2022 at 11:09 PM, GTO-Girl said:

I agree 100%!!  We have used them four times now and for us it is much less stressful to do the at home proctored test rather than worrying about an appt being cancelled.

 

The last time we did them at the hotel and printed the results off in the business center!  Easy peasy!!

We just did our emed tests from our hotel room.  Unfortunately we did experience some problems with the video feed, but we we able to reconnect after several tries.