Covid PCR test costs around the world. Should we regulate it?
Insurance companies don’t cover the cost of a Covid PCR test to travel. In New Jersey, PM Pediatrics charges $260. If you get on the train and do it in New York instead, it’s free. For everyone. In Switzerland, it costs $150, but if you get on a bus and cross to France, it costs $50. I did a PCR test in six countries in Europe, Asia, Latin America, and the US. See below where I found the cheapest alternative in each country and how long it took to get the results. Should the cost of PCR tests be regulated?
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United States. Covid test cost: $260 to $0
PM Pediatrics. $260. Students doing the required PCR test to attend Rutgers University were billed $260 (photo). Rutgers’ University insurance plan starts after students were scheduled to move in. Read The New York Times article on “How to Avoid a Surprise Bill for Your Coronavirus Test.”
JFK airport. $220. Passengers who don’t have a valid PCR test and do it at the airport pay $220, the second-highest rate anywhere.
New York City. PCR Covid tests in NYC are free. For anyone. Including those who only need it to travel. It doesn’t matter whether you are from New Jersey, New Zealand, or anywhere else. The results are sent faster (12 hours) than at my employer (36 hours). From New Jersey, the cost of the train to NYC is $12 roundtrip.
Switzerland. Covid test cost: $150
The cost for a Covid PCR test in Switzerland is $150 (SFR 140). From Geneva, it’s better to take the bus and do it in Cruseilles, France. While Switzerland is not in the European Union, there are no borders with Schengen countries, it’s the same as going from New Jersey to New York. The trip takes 30 minutes. That’s what I did.
France. Covid test cost: $60
The cost for a Covid PCR test in France is $60 or €50. It’s regulated by the government. I got the results back in France faster than anywhere else, in 4 hours. The cost of the bus from Geneva to Cruseilles, France is $12 roundtrip ($6 with a faculty or student discount, they honored mine). These French buses have Wifi and an outlet to charge the phone. NJ Transit trains don’t.
Spain. Covid test cost: ~$70
The cheapest cost for a Covid PCR test in Madrid, Spain, was $70 or €60 through Democratest! I tried this location. Results were delivered in less than 24 hours, both in English & Spanish. I walked from my hotel but the metro would have cost €2.
Ukraine. Covid test cost: $26
Ukraine. The cost for a Covid PCR test in Ukraine is $26. If you go down one floor at the airport (photo), $50 if you do it in the arrival hall. Like in Qatar, the government forces arriving passengers to get a local SIM card for tracking purposes, until they receive the results. Instead of paying $10 for the SIM card at the Vodafone stand, get one at the Kiosk for $1.50. The nice blonde lady in the photo will ask the young guy who speaks English to help you go through the entire process.
When you fly out, it’s cheaper and faster to do the PCR test at the airport. The train from downtown costs $3.50. Kyiv’s train station is grandiose.
Dubai. Covid test cost: $40. Now $14.
The cost for a Covid PCR test in Dubai was $40 (AED 150) two weeks ago. It has now been reduced by the government to $14 (AED 50).
The process is straightforward, comparable to the one in NYC. Unlike Qatar, Dubai doesn’t force arriving passengers to purchase a local SIM card to be tracked.
Qatar. The most inconvenient
In addition to having a valid PCR test before arrival, US fully-vaccinated passengers arriving from Dubai are forced to do another PCR test at Doha’s airport, because “the CDC vaccination card is manual, not electronic.” Electronic records through apps from the states of New York and New Jersey were not honored. It takes 2 hours to fill in the forms, wait in line and do the test. Passengers are then forced to replace their SIM cards with a local one, at a minimum cost of $10 and the inconvenience of having to change numbers. Solution: don't fly Qatar through Doha, fly Emirates through Dubai instead.
Colombia. Covid test cost: ~$57
The cheapest cost for a Covid PCR test in Colombia at Synlab (photo) depends on which airline you are flying with. American Airlines’ passengers pay $57, Avianca’s $52, COPA’s $37, and others $73. Results took 12 hours to be delivered by email. I haven’t seen this co-operation agreement in other countries. It’s a good idea.
Conclusion
The free market works best. That’s what we see in Ukraine with different providers posting their prices at the airport. Sometimes, however, it doesn’t work. That’s what we see in the US with one provider charging $260. Should the cost of a PCR test be regulated like in France or Dubai?