Price of rapid COVID-19 tests set to increase

Price of rapid COVID-19 test kits to increase after agreement with White House expires

The price of rapid COVID-19 tests is increasing as the nation grapples with a surge of infections due to the omicron variant.

Walmart and Kroger made an agreement with the White House in September which made them sell BinaxNOW test kits at a lower cost. However, that deal has now expired.  

Consumers were able to get a discount of up to 35% on the COVID-19 test kits, in order to make them more affordable for more of the population.  

A two-pack of the kits costs around $23, so the deal with the White House helped individuals save around $8.  

The higher price point may discourage some consumers from buying the kits. Health experts and epidemiologists have previously warned that making the tests inexpensive would encourage more people to use them. 

Finding a test kit at a store is a difficult task in itself, and retailers and pharmacies have also taken the step of limiting the number of test kits an individual customer can purchase.  

The Biden administration has been scrutinized over the shortage of test kits, an issue which the president has vowed to fix.  

The White House has announced a plan that will introduce 500 million more at-home test kits available to citizens within this month.  

“Our objective is to make tests accessible and free for Americans,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters last month. “There are a lot of ways to do that. And there are different ways that Americans are getting access to tests. … We always feel we need to be doing more and that’s what the president will talk about tomorrow.”