COVID-19 testing information

COVID-19 testing helps you find out if you’re infected with the virus. It can also help your care team decide the best way to treat it.

What you need to know about COVID-19 tests

A COVID-19 test is recommended if you are experiencing COVID symptoms (including but not limited to fever or chills, cough, congestion or runny nose, sore throat, new loss of taste or smell, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, nausea or vomiting). If you don't have symptoms, you don't need a test (even if you think you were exposed).

We recommend using a home antigen test. They are a quick, convenient, and reliable way to understand if your symptoms are caused by a COVID-19 infection. You can get COVID-19 home antigen tests at any of our pharmacies or order them by mail.

Self-tests

Can I get self-tests at a Kaiser Permanente facility? Except for Medicare Advantage and certain employer-sponsored plan members, you can get self-tests at a Kaiser Permanente facility or pharmacy at no cost to you.* Or you may need to pay upfront and file a claim for reimbursement later. If you can’t obtain an antigen test, please contact your doctor about other COVID-19 testing options.

Are the expiration dates on the self-test boxes accurate? The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) has extended the expiration dates on some brands of COVID-19 self-tests. To see if your brand has a new expiration date, visit the FDA’s website and type the brand name of the self-test into the search field. If your brand has a new expiration date, that means your self-test is reliable up to that date if you follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

How to take a self-test

COVID-19 self-tests are highly accurate when you follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Your test results are usually ready within 15 minutes.

Remember, a negative self-test doesn’t mean you don’t have the virus. So, if you have symptoms, you should treat them at home and wear a mask until they go away. Then take another self-test within a few days to make sure that you don’t have COVID-19.

Person inserting cotton swab into nostril

Step 1: Collect your sample

Insert the cotton swab into one of your nostrils and swirl according to the instructions. Repeat this in your other nostril.

Cotton swab being inserted into test tube

Step 2: Process your sample

Place the swab into the test tube and swirl it around according to the instructions.

Test tube dripping sample onto test strip

Step 3: Test your sample

Squeeze a few drops of your sample onto the test strip according to the instructions, then wait 15 minutes.

Steps 4: Read your results

After 15 minutes, your self-test is ready. A positive test will show lines next to the “T” and “C.” Even a faint or fading line next to the “T” indicates a positive test. If there is visible line next to the “C” but not next to the “T,” the test is negative.

Test results

A negative COVID-19 test means the test did not detect the virus, but it doesn’t mean that you’re not infected. If you have symptoms and your first antigen test is negative, we recommend repeating the test in 48 hours to rule out COVID-19 infection.

A positive COVID-19 test means the test detected the virus and you’re either infected or recently were infected.

About positive COVID-19 test results

Make sure to report your result to Kaiser Permanente through an e-visit to update your medical record and receive guidance.

About negative COVID-19 test results

A negative test result means COVID-19 wasn’t detected in your body at the time of your test. However, there’s still a chance you have the virus because you may have tested before the virus developed. An infection can develop up to 10 days after the last day of contact with someone with COVID-19.

If you tested negative while having symptoms and you followed the testing instructions correctly, it’s possible that you don’t have COVID-19. However, this negative result doesn’t completely confirm that you're free from infection.

It’s important to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for performing the test at home to increase the likelihood of an accurate result.

If you have concerns or if your symptoms worsen, visit kp.org/getcare or use our mobile app to access care.

Frequently asked questions

Exposure to COVID-19

A COVID-19 test is recommended if you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms (including, but not limited to, fever or chills, cough, congestion or runny nose, sore throat, new loss of taste or smell, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, nausea or vomiting).

If you don't have symptoms, you don't need a test (even if you were exposed).

Reimbursement for testing

If you purchase a self-test from a provider who’s outside the Kaiser Permanente network, you may be able to get half of the cost reimbursed. This reimbursement doesn’t apply if you’re a member of our Medicare Advantage plan or of an employer-sponsored plan.*

Medi-Cal members may request reimbursement for self-tests purchased outside Kaiser Permanente pharmacies by contacting the Medi-Cal Rx Customer Service Center toll-free at 1-800-977-2273 (TTY 711). The Medi-Cal Rx Customer Service Center is available 24/7 (except for some holidays) for reimbursement information and forms.

When possible, we recommend you get your testing done with Kaiser Permanente so your care team knows you’ve been tested and can reach out to you with any necessary information if you have COVID-19.

If you get tested by a provider outside the Kaiser Permanente network, you may get up to half of the cost reimbursed, unless you’re a member of a Medicare Advantage or a self-funded employer plan. If the tests are administered as part of urgent or emergency care, you may be eligible for full reimbursement.

To submit a claim for reimbursement:

Visit kp.org/billing.
Go to the “Understand your costs” section.
Click “Submit a claim.”

Your claim must include an itemized purchase receipt with the test name, purchase date, price, and numbers of tests purchased.

You can report your outside test result to us by completing an e-visit on kp.org.

Once completed, your test results will be saved to your electronic health record, and you will receive advice on what to do if you tested positive for COVID-19.