Drive-up COVID-19 testing will now be offered at Patient First, 5125 Jonestown Road, Suite 105, Harrisburg, by appointment. Testing is available from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 to 6 p.m. daily.
When they call a designated testing center to make an appointment, patients will be asked about symptoms and risk factors to determine whether they meet screening criteria based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). All Patient First Medical Centers, including the designated testing centers, remain open on a walk-in basis from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day for patients who have an urgent need for medical or injury care.
Certain screening criteria must be met in order to schedule a test. Criteria include experiencing certain symptoms associated with COVID-19; being a health care worker or first responder; residing in a nursing home or other congregate living facility; being a cancer patient who requires COVID-19 testing before beginning or resuming treatment; being required by a doctor, hospital, or outpatient surgical center to have COVID-19 testing prior to a planned surgery; or being required by an employer to have COVID-19 testing prior to beginning or returning to work.
All test samples will be collected outside of the center; patients may remain in their vehicles through the entire process. The staff member collecting samples will be equipped with proper personal protective equipment (PPE), including an N95 mask, gloves, eye protection, and a gown.
Samples will be sent to a third-party reference lab for testing. Results will generally be available in about two to four days and accessible on Patient First's Patient Portal. If patients do not already have a Patient First Patient Portal account set up, they will receive a temporary code allowing them to do so when they come in for testing.
For most insured patients, there is no out-of-pocket expense for COVID-19 testing. The visit will be submitted to patients' insurance. Patient First accepts all major insurance plans, including Medicare and Medicaid. For self-pay patients, there is a cost for the test, plus a separate bill from the lab in some cases. The lab will determine what, if anything, it bills the patient.
Appointments are not needed for visits unrelated to COVID-19 testing. All Patient First centers have taken steps to provide a safe environment for patients and staff, including requiring all patients and staff to wear masks while inside the center, thoroughly disinfecting surfaces throughout the center at regular intervals, requiring frequent hand washing, and limiting visitors to only essential family members.
Updates about testing sites, instructions for making an appointment, and other information are available at http://www.patientfirst.com/covid-19-testing.
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