November 10, 2020 Free COVID-19 Testing Available in McKeesport If you or someone you know needs to get tested for COVID-19, free testing is available in McKeesport for people ages three years old or older. This is a drive-through testing site that utilizes self-administered tests. Insurance is not required, however, you must have an appointment. About Allegheny County is offering free COVID-19 testing, for ages three and up, at 455 Industry Road in McKeesport. Testing is available by appointment only and will be completed as a self-administered test in each individual’s car. Masks are required. Those who are unable to drive to the site can contact the COVID-19 Hotline at 1.888.856.2774 or 2.1.1 for additional testing options and resources. For a demonstration of what to expect with self-administered testing, watch this video. If you know in advance that you will be unable to self-administer the test, contact the COVID-19 Hotline or 2.1.1 for other options to be tested. Make An Appointment Appointments can be scheduled online and by phone. To make a next-day appointment, please use the online registration site. Online appointments are accepted Sunday through Thursday for testing Monday through Friday. To make an appointment by phone, call 412.209.2262. This line is available Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday appointments can be scheduled on Friday over the phone. Same-day appointments may be made, when available, by phone. Location Closures This testing location will be closed on the following dates: Veterans Day (November 11, 2020) Thanksgiving Day (November 26, 2020) Day After Thanksgiving Day (November 27, 2020) More Information To view additional testing locations and for answers to frequently asked questions, visit the Allegheny County website. Share this flyer with your network.
April 17, 2020 CHIP Will Maintain Enrollment During COVID-19 Crisis On April 15, the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) announced that it is “making temporary changes to Pennsylvania’s Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) to keep families enrolled in CHIP for the duration of the public health emergency and to ease access to medical services for children being screened or receiving treatment for COVID-19.” What is CHIP? The Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) is Pennsylvania’s program to provide health insurance to uninsured children and teens who are not eligible for or enrolled in Medical Assistance. For most families, the program is free. Families with incomes above the free CHIP limits pay low monthly premiums and copays for some services. CHIP covers any uninsured child or teen up to the age of 19 and guarantees 12 months of coverage unless the family no longer meets basic eligibility requirements. There is not a waiting list to enroll in the program. Caregivers must renew their coverage every year to continue receiving services. To learn more and apply, visit the CHIP webpage. Included Changes The following changes to CHIP will be in effect until the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency: Families will not be denied or disenrolled from coverage for administrative or financial reasons. An example of an administrative reason would be not being able to provide proof of income. Families will not pay a copay for services that are for COVID-19 screenings, testing, or treatment. Families who cannot provide paperwork to verify information on an application or renewal can provide self-attestation of information by signing the application or renewal. Families will be given more time to pay premiums, if needed. These changes were made due to the economic and financial hardship that many families across the Commonwealth are experiencing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, families must still provide verification of information provided on an application and are still responsible for copays for services not related to COVID-19. Families will still be required to pay premiums, if applicable. However, if a family is unable to pay due to a decrease in or loss of income, that family must contact their managed care organization immediately and can request a reassessment because of an income change at any time. More Information For more information, read the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services’ full press release.
