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Skilled nursing facilities, intermediate care facilities, (ICFs), and assisted living communities can access free COVID-19 testing for staff and residents through Decembera31, 2022. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Operation Expanded Testing (OpET) program expanded access to free testing nationwide which previously targeted schools, shelters, and correctional facilities to now include skilled nursing facilities, ICFs, and assisted living communities.
Testing under OpET is available at no cost to providers and can be used for staff or residents. You can receive up to a four-week supply at a time, and there is no cap on the number of tests that can be used in this program.
How it Works:
OpET coordinates with four regional coordination hubs to provide pooled PCR tests (i.e., laboratory-based Nucleic Acid Amplification Tests [NAAT]), with specimen collection supplies, shipping materials, laboratory testing, and results reporting. The provider must contribute staff to collect specimens.
How to Enroll:
To enroll your facility into OpET’s no-cost screening testing program:
- Identify your facility’s region and coordination hub.
- Visit your regional coordination hub’s website.
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Hub 1 – West: Alaska, Arizona, California, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Marshall Islands, Nevada, Northern Mariana Islands, Oregon, Palau, and Washington
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Hub 2 – Midwest: Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Utah, Wisconsin, and Wyoming
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Hub 3 – Northeast: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, U.S. Virgin Islands, Vermont, Virginia, Washington D.C., and West Virginia
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Hub 4 – South: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas
- Enroll your facility.
Visit the Operation Expanded Testing website to learn more.
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