Starting in July, COVID-19 tests will no longer be free for people without insurance at more than a dozen sites across Miami-Dade due to a lack of federal funding — as South Florida continues to see a rise in cases.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava announced the move Monday afternoon to county commissioners. In a memo obtained by the Miami Herald, the mayor said that without federal support for COVID-19 services, the county would incur “unbudgeted expenditures” that would “adversely” affect the county’s ability to provide other essential government services.
The county had been relying on reimbursement funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to pay for tests and vaccines for the uninsured at county sites. The 100% federal reimbursement ends in July. For people with insurance, their insurer will continue to cover the cost of the tests and vaccines at the sites. Insurance info will be required at the sites.
