COVID-19 Home Test: Here's How Much It Costs, Where You Can Get One

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized another COVID-19 home test on Wednesday.

The COVID-19 home test BinaxNOW developed by Abbott is the third of its kind to be authorized in recent weeks.

The first one to get authorization from the FDA was biotech company Lucira Health's "All-in-One" test kit, followed by a kit made by the Australian company Ellume.

At least two dozen companies are also expected to come up with their own COVID-19 home test that will likely come in soon, said a report from The Washington Post.

These tests will allow people to know if they are COVID-19 positive within minutes and at the safety of their own home.

When Would Each COVID-19 Home Test Be Available?

Home collection kits have been available to consumers for months. But the new FDA-approved kits are different since users swab their nostrils and get the results in roughly 15 minutes compared to the 24 to 48 hours it takes to get results from home collection kids.

Lucira's test kit won't be available to consumers national until early spring since the company is still preparing for large-scale manufacturing.

Ellume's test, which was authorized on Tuesday, will be limited to the first week of January, when the first batches start getting shipped.

The company will be starting the next year with about 100,000 tests produced in a day until it can make as many as a million tests per day. That means it might produce as many as three million tests next month, noted a report from The Associated Press.

Abbott's BinaxNOW is expected to deliver 30 million tests in the first quarter of 2021 and 90 million more by the next quarter.

How Much Does Each COVID-19 Home Test Kit Cost? Where Can I Get One?

Unlike the older home collection kits that sell for more than $100 at retailers, the new FDA-approved home test kits are much cheaper.

Lucira tagged its molecular-based test kit at less than $50; Ellume's test kit, which uses a nasal swab, will cost around $300.

The home version of BinaxNOW costs $25, higher than the company's first tests sent to nursing homes and schools.

The cost was higher for the home test since it will require patients to order the test through an app called Navica that will ask health-related questions.

Then, the administration of the test will be supervised by a worker for eMed to make sure consumers are doing it correctly.

Most of the home tests and others in development will be as accessible as over-the-counter pregnancy tests, said a report from Bloomberg. It will be sold in pharmacies or online for about $30 each.

Will the Home Test Kits Require A Prescription?

The need for a prescription depends on the COVID-19 test maker. Lucira will require a prescription, in part, so the results can be reported to local, state, and federal agencies when tracking cases.

Ellume will not require a prescription, and people as young as two years old, are cleared to use the test, said a report from the New York Times.

Abbott's BinaxNOW will also require a prescription, reported Vox. The test is also authorized for use among people without symptoms, unlike similar tests that only test people with symptoms.