Testing

Yes, under certain conditions. Health care providers are required by the Riverside County Health Officer Order to provide their patients with access to COVID testing if they have symptoms, are part of a public health investigation, or have been in close contact with someone with COVID-19. The Health Officer Order also encourages providers to bill private insurance plans for these services whenever possible. Getting a test through your regular health care provider will help you get the care you need.  If your health care provider is unable to give you a test, you can make an appointment for a COVID-19 test at a community test site.

You should get tested if you:

• Have symptoms of COVID-19.
• Were asked by Riverside County Department of Public Health to get a test because of a contact tracing or outbreak investigation.
• Were in “close contact” with someone who has COVID-19 in the past 2 weeks.
• Work or live in places such as skilled nursing facilities, group homes, residential care facilities, correctional facilities or homeless shelters.
• Are a person experiencing homelessness.
• Are an essential worker with frequent contacts with the public in the following areas: health care, emergency, food and grocery services, factory workers in food and retail, public transportation, and education.
• Don't have symptoms but believe you may be infected now because you were exposed to people who were sick, were around many people who were not wearing face coverings, and/or were not keeping safe distance in the past 2 weeks.

A “close contact” is anyone exposed to a person with or suspected to have COVID-19 while infectious*. Exposures include:

1. Being within 6 feet of an infected person for a total of 15 minutes or more within a 24-hour period.
2. Having unprotected contact with an infected person’s body fluids and/or secretions. For example, being coughed or sneezed on, sharing utensils or saliva, or providing care without wearing appropriate protective equipment.

*When you are infectious, you can spread COVID-19 to others because it is highly contagious. Someone with COVID-19 is infectious from 2 days before their symptoms first appear until they are no longer required to be isolated (as described in Home Isolation Instructions for People with COVID-19). A person with no symptoms and a positive COVID-19 test is infectious from 2 days before their test was taken until 10 days after their test.

No. Even if you have a negative result, you should practice physical distancing, wear a face covering, and wash your hands frequently. A negative COVID-19 test does not guarantee that you do not have the virus. With widespread community transmission, there is a daily risk of being infected with COVID-19.

Testing is done by appointment; however, same-day appointments and walk-ins may be available at some testing locations. Please use this website to find a convenient testing location and sign-up for a test. Having an appointment helps reduce wait times and helps us ensure that we have enough staff and testing supplies available.

If no appointments are available at your preferred site, check for testing availability at a different location. Appointments are added to the website daily. Check back to see when appointments become available at a location near you.

You can schedule an appointment up to 5 days ahead of time. Same-day appointments may also be available.

Some sites are drive-up and some are walk-up. The map will show whether it is a drive-up or walk-up site.

Testing is free for you, regardless of insurance or immigration status.

When you give your insurance information, it allows the laboratory to bill your insurance to get reimbursed for the cost of the tests. According to the State of California, your health plan likely is required to pay for approved COVID-19 tests that meet most of these criteria:

• People who have symptoms of COVID-19.
• People who were in “close contact” with someone with COVID-19 in the past 2 weeks.
• People working or living in places such as skilled nursing facilities, group homes, residential care facilities, correctional facilities and persons experiencing homelessness.
• Are an essential worker with frequent contacts with the public in these sectors: health care, emergency services, food and grocery services, food manufacturing, retail or manufacturing, public transportation, and education. To view a complete list of the essential workers’ group from the California Department of Public Health, click here.

First, make sure it’s a bill.  You may receive an “Explanation of Benefits” notice from your insurance company. It often arrives in the mail well after the test and looks like a bill but is NOT a bill. It will often say “This is NOT a bill” on the notice.  Do NOT pay it.

If you do receive a bill, contact your insurance company or health care provider to inquire about it.

You can also contact the California Insurance Commissioner’s office for help, or to file a complaint. Click here or call 800-927-4357.

The COVID-19 testing sites on the City of Riverside COVID-19 Testing website offer no-cost (free) testing. There are many providers, clinics and other agencies providing COVID-19 testing that are not on the City of Riverside COVID-19 Testing website that may charge for a test. The City of Riverside does not endorse or regulate all COVID-19 testing sites. Please make sure to read and ask about any costs for a COVID-19 test.

The Federal Government has approved funding to reimburse health care providers and facilities for COVID-19 testing and treatment of the uninsured. We are required to ask for your insurance information to receive reimbursement. However, you do not need to provide a driver’s license or social security number to get a test. COVID-19 testing is available, regardless of immigrations status. Health care providers are not required to confirm immigration status prior to submitting claims for reimbursement.