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Program Provides BinaxNOW at No Charge in Philly
4-week pilot with Walgreens delivers rapid COVID-19 self tests at no charge to those with Pennsylvania ACCESS card.
Philadelphia — site of the writing of Declaration of Independence — will soon witness a revolutionary idea in COVID-19 rapid testing.
Beginning today, a first-of-its-kind, four-week program running between June 7 and July 4 will make our rapid COVID-19 BinaxNOW Self Tests available — at no cost — to any Pennsylvania ACCESS cardholder (Pennsylvania's EBT program) in all 16 Walgreens stores in the city of Philadelphia. You can click here to find Walgreens locations in Philadelphia, where EBT cardholders can receive their tests.
This program is another step to providing greater access to COVID-19 testing to those who may not otherwise be able to afford it. We're working to make our medical technologies and innovations accessible and affordable to those who can benefit the most.
Those who have been unable to take off work to get vaccinated.
Those who have relied on public transportation even through the worst of COVID-19.
And who live in multi-family households.
So for these communities, affordable, quick, and easy-to-take testing can be critical for themselves and their families, helping to restore some of what COVID took away. Each EBT cardholder can receive two, two-count test packs per family member per week, up to five people per household.
Lessons to Learn — and Apply We will analyze the program throughout its four-week run and will share learnings with local, state and federal officials along with community organizations with a shared interest in increasing access to testing for low-income and underserved communities.
Even as more Americans are vaccinated, testing will remain an important part of our continued COVID-19 response. Access to fast, simple and reliable testing gives people confidence and reassurance in the face of uncertainty to go about their daily life.
Low-income, high-risk communities have often lacked the resources and information to effectively combat the pandemic. Our 2030 Sustainability Plan is designed to increase access to products such as rapid testing to those who normally don't have the resources to obtain them, remove barriers to health as well as improve the broader health of our communities across the country and around the world.
As the country steps out of a long, cold COVID winter and into a summer of renewed possibilities, communities are coming back together for all the things we missed last year. And as Philadelphians celebrate the Fourth in the place where it all started, they will have access to the tools they need to reunite with confidence.
That shouldn't be such a revolutionary thought, after all. And with BinaxNOW, it won't be.
"EBT is an electronic benefit transfer. There is no endorsement of any brands or services by government programs that utilize EBT. The U.S. government is not involved in this program and public funds are not being used to subsidize the cost of the tests. Additionally, EBT cards will only serve as a visual verification of eligibility – no personal information will be recorded."
This story was originally published on June 18, 2021 and updated on March 3, 2022. It was again updated on June 13, 2022.
Important Safety Information
BinaxNOW COVID-19 Antigen Self Test
The BinaxNOW™ COVID-19 Ag Test Card EUA has not been FDA cleared or approved. It has been authorized by the FDA under an emergency use authorization for use by authorized laboratories. The test has been authorized only for the detection of proteins from SARS-CoV-2, not for any other viruses or pathogens, and is only authorized for the duration of the declaration that circumstances exist justifying the authorization of emergency use of in vitro diagnostic tests for detection and/or diagnosis of COVID-19 under Section 564(b)(1) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 360bbb-3(b)(1), unless the authorization is terminated or revoked sooner.
The ID NOW COVID-19 EUA has not been FDA cleared or approved. It has been authorized by the FDA under an emergency use authorization for use by authorized laboratories and patient care settings. The test has been authorized only for the detection of nucleic acid from SARS-CoV-2, not for any other viruses or pathogens, and is only authorized for the duration of the declaration that circumstances exist justifying the authorization of emergency use of in vitro diagnostic tests for detection and/or diagnosis of COVID-19 under Section 564(b)(1) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 360bbb-3(b)(1), unless the authorization is terminated or revoked sooner.
The SARS-CoV-2 IgG, AdviseDx SARS-CoV-2 IgG II and AdviseDx SARS-CoV-2 IgM tests have not been FDA cleared or approved. They have been authorized by the FDA under EUA for use by authorized laboratories. These tests have been authorized only for the detection the presence of IgG antibodies or IgM antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, not for any other viruses or pathogens. These tests are only authorized for the duration of the declaration that circumstances exist justifying the authorization of emergency use of in vitro diagnostics for detection and/or diagnosis of COVID-19 under Section 564(b)(1) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 360bbb-3(b)(1), unless the authorization is terminated or revoked sooner.
The Abbott RealTime SARS-CoV-2 assay and the Alinity m SARS-CoV-2 assay have not been FDA cleared or approved. These tests have been authorized by the FDA under an Emergency Use Authorization for use by authorized laboratories. These tests have been authorized only for the detection of nucleic acid from SARS-CoV-2, not for any other viruses or pathogens, and are only authorized for the duration of the declaration that circumstances exist justifying the authorization of emergency use of in vitro diagnostic tests for detection and/or diagnosis of COVID-19 under Section 564(b)(1) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 360bbb-3(b)(1), unless the authorization is terminated or revoked sooner.
The BinaxNOW™ COVID-19 Antigen Self Test has not been FDA cleared or approved. It has been authorized by the FDA under an emergency use authorization. It has been authorized only for the detection of proteins from SARS-CoV-2, not for any other viruses or pathogens, and is only authorized for the duration of the declaration that circumstances exist justifying the authorization of emergency use of in vitro diagnostics for detection and/or diagnosis of COVID-19 under Section 564(b)(1) of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, 21 U.S.C. § 360bbb-3(b)(1), unless the declaration is terminated or authorization is revoked sooner. For serial testing, the BinaxNOW COVID-19 Antigen Self Test should be performed twice over 3 days, at least 24 hours (and no more than 48 hours) apart. For symptomatic use, a single test can be used.