As part of President Biden’s National COVID-19 Preparedness Plan to help America move forward safely, the Biden-Harris Administration is launching a nationwide Test to Treat Initiative this week so Americans can rapidly access needed COVID-19 treatments. Through this program, people will be able to get tested and – if they are positive and treatments are appropriate for them – receive a prescription from a health care provider, and have their prescription filled all in one location. This ensures that, if people who are at high risk for developing severe disease test positive and if administration of an antiviral is appropriate, they can get treatment quickly and easily. These “One-Stop Test to Treat” locations will be available at hundreds of locations nationwide, including pharmacy-based clinics, federally-qualified community health centers (FQHCs), and long-term care facilities. The program is run by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and includes a direct allocation of antiviral pills to participating clinics, centers, and facilities.
“Our mission remains to protect the health and wellbeing of every American,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “Tackling barriers to testing and treatments remains a priority for us, including making sure people can access these tools for free, wherever they are, and even if they don’t have health insurance. This important Test to Treat Initiative will help more at-risk people get the care they need if they get sick.”
In addition to vaccines, HHS has worked to invest in and purchase a broad variety of COVID-19 treatments and therapies to help protect Americans from COVID-19. The Test to Treat Initiative will also include new actions to educate the public about the availability of new treatments and the importance of starting them soon after the onset of symptoms; and provide information to health care providers about these new treatments.
A full fact sheet about this initiative from HHS can be found here.
