"Just mail covid tests to everyone? Absolutely. My government does it."

[orleans]

i just caught a second of this interchange during the briefing on 12/7 so i googled hoping i'd find the clip. but then i saw this perspective in wapo. so... (i know there's a paywall but if you can read the comments section they are interesting)

Just mail covid tests to everyone? Absolutely. My government does it.
Only in the United States would it seem to make more sense to have people buy tests, then get reimbursed by insurers

“Should we just send one to every American?” I groaned as I watched a clip of White House press secretary Jen Psaki responding sarcastically to a reporter’s suggestion that there might be better ways to improve access to rapid coronavirus tests than letting Americans get reimbursed by insurance companies for their cost. Inwardly, I screamed.

That kind of lack of imagination about how health care can work is beyond frustrating to witness once you’ve experienced a system that takes a different approach — one that’s both simple to navigate and free at the point of service. One that, yes, provides free coronavirus tests to everyone.

I am a dual citizen of the United States and Britain, now living in Edinburgh, Scotland, and I am able get rapid antigen tests anytime I want to, at no cost and with no hoops to jump through. I know that Americans pay more than $20 for a package of two tests — if they’re in stock. Here you can walk into your local pharmacy, and they will just hand you packs of seven tests at no charge. In my neighborhood I can also go to the local recreational center and collect packs of tests free for my family, or swing by a coronavirus testing center.

When I pick up tests at these places, I don’t fill out any forms. I don’t have to show any insurance cards. They don’t even ask my name. Why would they? Collecting such information would just create unnecessary paperwork and spawn a bureaucracy to deal with it. Instead, the government just buys tests and then distributes them. That’s it. No fees and no middlemen.

more at link
https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2021/12/09/coronavirus-test-rapid-free-psaki/

if this was already posted -- sorry. i didn't know about this until a half hour ago.

also in the above piece she said "This past week, with the rise of the omicron variant, the Scottish government has asked that on top of twice-weekly rapid testing people test anytime they plan to socialize, travel on public transport or enter a public indoor space (that includes shopping)."

it might have been in the comments section where someone mentioned how so many of these tests would be tossed out and wasted. someone else suggested having them available at various locations where people can just go in and pick them up. one of the suggested locations was a local firehouse. it made me think of the news stories i've heard about firefighters and cops suing against vaccine mandates. so--if they're being such douchebags about it chances are they wouldn't want to be accommodating and hand out free tests. but pharmacies or libraries or post offices certainly could. anyway...

[Woodswalker]

1. I come to the realization

That America is pathetic when it comes to healthcare

[Celerity]

11. it is the single biggest wealth extraction/transfer scheme on the planet

Well over $125-130 trillion will be spent over the next 20 years at current rates of increase.



https://www.investopedia.com/u-s-healthcare-spending-rising-fast-5186172

How Much Does the U.S. Spend on Healthcare?

U.S. healthcare costs have grown steadily over the last 60 years, and the country is projected to spend 6.2 trillion dollars on healthcare by 2028, which is 19.7% of the gross national product. In 2019 per-person spending was $11,582.

How Do U.S. Healthcare Costs Compare With Other Countries?

Healthcare in the U.S. is considerably more expensive than in other comparable developed countries, and yet the outcomes are not as good. Life expectancy in the U.S. for people born in 2019 is 78.9, ranking America 29th among the 38 countries that comprise the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

Why Is U.S. Healthcare so Expensive?

While there are a number of factors that make U.S. healthcare so costly, one of the major expenses is administrative costs, which account for between one-quarter to one-third of U.S. healthcare expenses. This is in part due to the complexity of the healthcare system, which combines government programs, private insurance, and uninsured individuals, and many duplicative regulatory requirements. Another factor is high drug prices, which are subject to the law of supply and demand in a capitalistic system.

[herding cats]

2. For profit means they can take a loss (usually needed) for expired product.

So, the wasted ones are a moot point. There's a real issue when an area is spiking for people to find tests at a timely fashion. It's all truly messed up.

I'm trying to figure this problem out, too. Sadly, I haven't a clue so far as to how to fix this. Many more people are willing to test than be vaccinated. Which could be utilized if we could get tests into their hands more easily. How is the problem.

[Hekate]

3. What a concept

[leftstreet]

4. Tone deaf

I can't believe she said that

[orleans]

6. it surprised me too. and it kinda knocked her off the pedestal imo nt

[LittleGirl]

5. We received 5 antigen test kits per household last spring

we're in Switzerland.

[vanlassie]

7. My Expat daughter came to visit from London last month.

She brought a dozen of the boxes of seven tests with her. They hand them out in malls and train stations. She and the family have had antibody tests, no charge. When you have socialized medicine, it’s considered to be in everyone’s interest for everyone to stay healthy. Imagine that.

[catrose]

8. Blue Cross sent us 2 last week

[BlueLucy]

9. I just ordered 5 for free.

The State of Washington mails them to folks for free.

[Haggard Celine]

10. Yeah, but we aren't having your fancy taxes on tea over here!

Oh, wait!

[FunkyLeprechaun]

12. I now live near Newcastle Upon Tyne

The NHS can post a Covid test which arrives within a day, likewise there are multiple covid testing sites throughout the country if you need a result ASAP. My daughter’s nursery was worried she had covid so asked us to get her tested. I ordered the covid test from the NHS but didn’t realise my husband had already taken her to a testing site. We got the result the next morning that she was negative. Later that day, the home testing kit arrived.

I lived in the US for 25 years and while the nhs isn’t perfect, I wouldn’t give it up for living back in the us.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

13. That press conference highlighted just how bad our health care system -- and employment system,

Last edited Fri Dec 10, 2021, 10:09 AM - Edit history (1)

for that matter -- really is. Part of the reason some people resist testing is because they'll have to miss work if they or someone in their household even gets a test. It's a mess, and her answer wasn't helpful at all.