No more free government covid tests

[vjmatty]

4 minutes ago, livingonthebeach said:

 

It's true that nothing is truly "free".  What is meant is that there is no direct cost to the consumer when ordering the tests, however that ship has sailed.  

 

How ever do we distinguish between toll roads and non-toll roads, public and private schools, Medicaid vs. paid insurance, libraries and book stores, if we are going to start arguing that nothing provided by the government is truly "free"?  😉

 

[livingonthebeach]

4 minutes ago, vjmatty said:

 

How ever do we distinguish between toll roads and non-toll roads, public and private schools, Medicaid vs. paid insurance, libraries and book stores, if we are going to start arguing that nothing provided by the government is truly "free"?  😉

 

 

Since public services are funded by taxpayer dollars, unless one doesn't pay federal, state, local and property taxes, there is no such thing "free" goods and services. 🤑

[rudeney]

5 minutes ago, livingonthebeach said:

 

Since public services are funded by taxpayer dollars, unless one doesn't pay federal, state, local and property taxes, there is no such thing "free" goods and services. 🤑

 

Yep, for the 61% of American households that pay no Federal income taxes, they are free.  

[livingonthebeach]

1 minute ago, rudeney said:

 

Yep, for the 61% of American households that pay no Federal income taxes, they are free.  

 

Wow - had no idea the percentage was that high. I wonder what percent of that are those that don't make enough to pay and what percent are the uber-rich who know all the tax loopholes?

[rudeney]

53 minutes ago, jerseygirl3 said:

Actually, the proctored test through Rapid Test and Trace is exceptionally easy.  It's $20, no app to download.  You schedule your date and time on their website, you can use your own at home test kit, and  they are very diligent about sending you reminders of your appt. time that you selected.  The proctor was extremely nice and while still on the zoom with her, she made sure I received my negative test result in my email before we disconnected.  I highly recommend them.  I think it was On Point that was more complicated and you had to download two accounts or something like that.  But Rapid Test and Trace was excellent.  

 

RCCL's linked provider, eMed/Optum, is much more complicated, so that may be what people are thinking about.  You have to download two programs (the telemed app and Navica).  They are more expensive than RapiodTestAndTrace.  I plan to use Rapid for our upcoming Canada cruise.

[patattack]

13 hours ago, pfdaxe358 said:

I received several test kits in the mail a couple of weeks ago. ALL had past the expiration date...SMH

I did as well.  Received them 2 weeks ago

[rudeney]

1 minute ago, livingonthebeach said:

 

Wow - had no idea the percentage was that high. I wonder what percent of that are those that don't make enough to pay and what percent are the uber-rich who know all the tax loopholes?

 

Total household wise, it's mostly those that fall below the income threshold.  Keep in mind that the so-called "one percenters" that we think pay no income taxes actually pay nearly 40% of all income taxes collected by the Federal government.  The top 10% of earners pay 70% of all income taxes.  The ultra-rich who supposedly pay no income taxes get away with that because they technically have no "income" - they have "wealth".  In the USA, we tax an individual's income and not what they have in the bank.

[smokeybandit]

9 minutes ago, livingonthebeach said:

 

Wow - had no idea the percentage was that high. I wonder what percent of that are those that don't make enough to pay and what percent are the uber-rich who know all the tax loopholes?

It's not that high. It was artificially high in 2020 due to covid. It's usually around 45%

[soapbxking]

22 hours ago, Williamsburgcruiser said:

Went out to order the free tests from the government, to potentially use for our October cruise, and got this:

 

 

Figured I'd share.

Yes, the govt stopped purchasing those and also some treatment options!

[Another_Critic]

Ordered my “free” tests on Sept 1 while vacationing in Copenhagen.

[ldubs]

On 9/8/2022 at 12:48 PM, Williamsburgcruiser said:

Went out to order the free tests from the government, to potentially use for our October cruise, and got this:

 

 

Figured I'd share.

 

I just called my pharmacy and got another pack of 8 tests via Medicare.   

[jerseygirl3]

3 hours ago, patattack said:

I did as well.  Received them 2 weeks ago

Most have extended the expiration date. Check it out 

[mpk]

On 9/8/2022 at 12:58 PM, mets123 said:

It was very well advertised the program was ending last week. I ordered 16 more tests before the deadline.

 

Wow, how were you able to get an additional 16?  I thought there was limit (lower than 16) for a particular address.

[Jessejo]

7 hours ago, jerseygirl3 said:

Actually, the proctored test through Rapid Test and Trace is exceptionally easy.  It's $20, no app to download.  You schedule your date and time on their website, you can use your own at home test kit, and  they are very diligent about sending you reminders of your appt. time that you selected.  The proctor was extremely nice and while still on the zoom with her, she made sure I received my negative test result in my email before we disconnected.  I highly recommend them.  I think it was On Point that was more complicated and you had to download two accounts or something like that.  But Rapid Test and Trace was excellent.  

Thank you!  I will try them for our 9/23 Radiance 11 day HI cruise.

[ChutChut]

9 hours ago, livingonthebeach said:

 

Wow - had no idea the percentage was that high. I wonder what percent of that are those that don't make enough to pay and what percent are the uber-rich who know all the tax loopholes?

Stats reveal vast majority don't make enough and pay no fed income taxes. Uber rich/wealthy, etc. pay vast majority of taxes.

[Jessejo]

4 hours ago, Jessejo said:

Thank you!  I will try them for our 9/23 Radiance 11 day HI cruise.

I just got online and can’t seem to order only the observed test - looks like they want to send me a test too…

[deliver42]

I work for Publix, and they have non proctored ( like the government tests) for $9.95. I don't know about anyone else, but for that price, i wouldn't sweat the small stuff.

[rudeney]

10 hours ago, Jessejo said:

I just got online and can’t seem to order only the observed test - looks like they want to send me a test too…

 

Try this: https://rapidtestandtrace.com/product/observed-test-for-travel/

 

[Jessejo]

1 hour ago, rudeney said:

 

Try this: https://rapidtestandtrace.com/product/observed-test-for-travel/

 

Thank you!  I’m all set now.

[BazingAu]

On 9/8/2022 at 2:58 PM, mets123 said:

It was very well advertised the program was ending last week. I ordered 16 more tests before the deadline.

How did you do that? (I know it's moot now, but just curious.) When I went to order last month, it said that I exhausted the allotment for my address. I think we got a total of 8 tests altogether between 2 rounds of free tests. We have 4 people in my family.

[BND]

On 9/9/2022 at 7:09 PM, mpk said:

 

Wow, how were you able to get an additional 16?  I thought there was limit (lower than 16) for a particular address.

It was always supposed to be 8 per household per month.    But, I've also seen up to three rounds per household or 16 total.  Either way, 16 at one time was not supposed to happen.

Edited September 13, 2022 by BND

[Keksie]

42 minutes ago, BND said:

It was always supposed to be 8 per household per month.    But, I've also seen up to three rounds per household or 16 total.  Either way, 16 at one time was not supposed to happen.

Maybe they are just sending out the excess in the program since I am sure we are not the only ones who never ordered any.