Patients will begin paying at Beaches Telescope Health COVID-19 testing site

DUVAL COUNTY, Fla. — There are big changes to two COVID-19 testing locations in our area.

The Neptune Beach location will begin offering rapid COVID-19 tests only starting next week. It won’t be free because of a cut in coronavirus federal funding.

Kathleen Bailey lives at the beaches.

On Friday she decided to get a COVID-19 test at Telescope Health’s COVID-19 testing site in Neptune Beach.

“I see my girlfriend at Avante nursing home and I know they’re tested but just to be safe I wanted to make sure I’m still good,” Bailey said.

The Telescope Health beaches location currently offers two tests, the PCR and the antibody test.

The other city-run telescope health site at the Jim Fortuna Senior Center in East Arlington closed on Dec.16.

STORY: Where to get a free COVID-19 test in Jacksonville

Dr. Matt Rill, the CEO of Telescope Health, told Action News Jax it saw a spike in cases around the Thanksgiving holiday.

Fearing another surge in cases around Christmas, it scrambled to keep the beaches location open.

“We think it’s super important that testing continues and especially at the beach where there is really no other site nearby so we scrambled to make sure that we could continue test through the holidays in hopes of a new stimulus bill for the new year,” Dr. Rill said.

If a new stimulus package gets approved Dr. Rill told Action News Jax the beaches location could go back to being free of charge.

We pulled up the prices from Telescope Health’s Website and found out if you have insurance a PCR and antibody test will cost you $52.

If you’re uninsured you’re looking at spending over $100 per test and a rapid COVID-19 test will cost you $129 dollars either way.

Bailey told me it’s a lot of money for those living on a fixed income or struggling during the pandemic.

“It is for just a nose swab, yeah I think so,” Bailey said.

The beaches location will begin offering the rapid COVID-19 test this Wednesday.

Next week it’s open Wednesday Dec. 23 through Thursday Dec. 31 from 7 a.m. until 3 p.m.

Cox Media Group