Covid tests some kind of scam?

Henro

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We used one test during the whole Covid period. And over the last three years we probably received at least 56 tests. Actually probably more. At no cost to us but somebody is paying.

Over the last six or eight weeks we received 24 more tests. We have not asked for these tests. Medicare pays for them. But the last eight I received a week or two ago, apparently might not be being paid by Medicare. Or it might be referencing some previous to the current ones, I’m not sure. But I got a normal letter from somewhere telling me what my Medicare charges were, and since we have a good supplemental, we never pay anything other than the premiums. But this letter I received said I might be charged something like $200 for test kits (that I didn’t ask for).

Of course, I‘ll refuse to pay if I’m asked, since I never agreed to pay for these things to begin with anyway. But‘s what’s up with this? Is it some kind of a scam where companies are trying to get paid for test kits that people don’t need or want? And don’t ask for?

I’ll bet between the two of us my wife and I got as many is 72 tests over the last 2 1/2 years. And only used one. This just seems so wasteful.
 

fried1765

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We used one test during the whole Covid period. And over the last three years we probably received at least 56 tests. Actually probably more. At no cost to us but somebody is paying.

Over the last six or eight weeks we received 24 more tests. We have not asked for these tests. Medicare pays for them. But the last eight I received a week or two ago, apparently might not be being paid by Medicare. Or it might be referencing some previous to the current ones, I’m not sure. But I got a normal letter from somewhere telling me what my Medicare charges were, and since we have a good supplemental, we never pay anything other than the premiums. But this letter I received said I might be charged something like $200 for test kits (that I didn’t ask for).

Of course, I‘ll refuse to pay if I’m asked, since I never agreed to pay for these things to begin with anyway. But‘s what’s up with this? Is it some kind of a scam where companies are trying to get paid for test kits that people don’t need or want? And don’t ask for?

I’ll bet between the two of us my wife and I got as many is 72 tests over the last 2 1/2 years. And only used one. This just seems so wasteful.
Flood the population that you panicked, .......with unnecessary/unwanted tests.
Yo Gubment at work!
 
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chim

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My guess is that the feds pay way too much for them to keep big pharma well- overpaid till someone comes up with another pandemic.
 
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RCW

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This came up a few months ago.

My thought is not a scam to the recipient, but a certainly a scam to Medicare.

Just guessing that some manufacturer or distributor has a large inventory that’s going to be dated and unusable in the near future. Demand for COVID testing has decreased precipitously in the last 12-18 months.

During height of pandemic, many insurers, Medicare included, offered test kits at 0% cost share to their subscribers.

Sowhat better way to liquidate inventory than to just send kits to Henro and bill Medicare whether he asked for them or not??

Heck, he’s held harmless since he has no out of pocket expenses?

Has no bearing on the government other than they are unknowingly picking up the tab for something their people didn’t ask for……

Just my theory.

We’ve used maybe 8-10 tests. I’ve tested 2-3 times, and the Mrs. more as she did have COVID while working as a school teacher. Also tested a couple times to ensure she didn’t have Covid before going to work.
 
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D2Cat

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Might contact your medicare provider and make them aware of the shipments. If they don't want to pay for them they will contact the company sending them to terminate shipment.
 
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RCW

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Might contact your medicare provider and make them aware of the shipments. If they don't want to pay for them they will contact the company sending them to terminate shipment.
Good point. I’m assuming at some point Henro or his family may have requested a kit. Seller has subscriber information and is using it to their own benefit whether requested or not.
 
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DaveFromMi

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I have never received the first Covid test. Covid did show up on an antibodies test I requested.
 
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D2Cat

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My wife is still being treated by the Univ of Ks Drs for adverse reaction to her first covid vaccine Mar. 21 over two years ago.
 

Mrlunchbox

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Unrelated and related. What I found the most odd about these tests is the expiration date. The ones made available to us to use at work by the dozens all had the same expiration date. A week before they expired the company sent us stickers with new expiration dates to place over the old ones. made them good for another two years. Crazy weird for sure.
 

The Evil Twin

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The worst part is that when people use them (any VID test, really) it is a crap shoot as to if they work. My wife had it but 1 in 4 showed positive. I thought I had it but 2 showed - and 2 showed + in the same day. The 5th test the next day showed - so I went with the 3 - tests and called it good.
All I can say is report and return to sender as "not at this address"
 
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GeoHorn

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Flood the population that you panicked, .......with unnecessary/unwanted tests.
Yo Gubment at work!
It’s not the ”Gubment”.

The intent of the “gov’t” is to serve the citizens. The problem is the CORPORATIONS that find ways to cheat and steal from the taxpayer. And since most folks think they’ll not personally have to put out any money for the Dis-service…they do nothing about it…and thereby FACILITATE the THEFT. And that’s what it is: THEFT of our resources that WE pay for.

I placed them in a box and returned them postage-collect. They stopped coming.

I had a similar experience with an ordinary medical problem. I hurt my hands digging with an old style post hole digger. I thought I’d broken my thumbs. I called a clinic and TOLD them it was my thumbs. They scheduled a visit. (This required a couple days and two 75-mile round trips.)

I went and they took x-rays and a doctor saw me and told me it was actually arthritis…but that there was a “procedure” they could perform to provide relief. When I asked what the procedure was….he admitted he was a LEG specialist and I’d have to come back to see the HAND specialist.

I rescheduled to see the HAND specialist….(another $320 charged to medicare)…. who again x-rayed my hands and told me the exact same story…except he said the procedure meant borrowing a nerve-graft from my leg…which would require me to schedule another visit with the LEG specialist. 👺

They knew their game. I turned the matter over to the medicate folks and have no idea what became of it.

My personal physician gave me some excersizes to perform with my hands which have relieved the problem.

We need to stop blaming the “gubmint” for our own lack of personal responsibilities to REPORT FRAUD and to be ACCOUNTABLE ourselves instead of blaming others.
 
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fried1765

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It’s not the ”Gubment”.

The intent of the “gov’t” is to serve the citizens. The problem is the CORPORATIONS that find ways to cheat and steal from the taxpayer. And since most folks think they’ll not personally have to put out any money for the Dis-service…they do nothing about it…and thereby FACILITATE the THEFT. And that’s what it is: THEFT of our resources that WE pay for.

I placed them in a box and returned them postage-collect. They stopped coming.

I had a similar experience with an ordinary medical problem. I hurt my hands digging with an old style post hole digger. I thought I’d broken my thumbs. I called a clinic and TOLD them it was my thumbs. They scheduled a visit. (This required a couple days and two 75-mile round trips.)

I went and they took x-rays and a doctor saw me and told me it was actually arthritis…but that there was a “procedure” they could perform to provide relief. When I asked what the procedure was….he admitted he was a LEG specialist and I’d have to come back to see the HAND specialist.

I rescheduled to see the HAND specialist….(another $320 charged to medicare)…. who again x-rayed my hands and told me the exact same story…except he said the procedure meant borrowing a nerve-graft from my leg…which would require me to schedule another visit with the LEG specialist. 👺

They knew their game. I turned the matter over to the medicate folks and have no idea what became of it.

My personal physician gave me some excersizes to perform with my hands which have relieved the problem.

We need to stop blaming the “gubmint” for our own lack of personal responsibilities to REPORT FRAUD and to be ACCOUNTABLE ourselves instead of blaming others.
"The intent of the "gov't"
,.... is most often VERY different from the reality of the "gov't".

The Gubmnit runs the show/sets the rules!
We the people, are merely pawns in the Gubmint system!
 
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hagrid

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My guess is that the feds pay way too much for them to keep big pharma well- overpaid till someone comes up with another pandemic.
You mis-spelled plandemic.
 
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The Evil Twin

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The problem is that the feral government doesn't do anything. It does not produce anything. It does not develop anything. It does not innovate or improve upon anything. Simply, after consuming a large number of dollars, it redistributes the remaining dollars from one pocket to another based upon overtly complex policy and metric sh!t tons of red tape.
 
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William1

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It’s not the ”Gubment”.

The intent of the “gov’t” is to serve the citizens. The problem is the CORPORATIONS that find ways to cheat and steal from the taxpayer. And since most folks think they’ll not personally have to put out any money for the Dis-service…they do nothing about it…and thereby FACILITATE the THEFT. And that’s what it is: THEFT of our resources that WE pay for.

I placed them in a box and returned them postage-collect. They stopped coming.

I had a similar experience with an ordinary medical problem. I hurt my hands digging with an old style post hole digger. I thought I’d broken my thumbs. I called a clinic and TOLD them it was my thumbs. They scheduled a visit. (This required a couple days and two 75-mile round trips.)

I went and they took x-rays and a doctor saw me and told me it was actually arthritis…but that there was a “procedure” they could perform to provide relief. When I asked what the procedure was….he admitted he was a LEG specialist and I’d have to come back to see the HAND specialist.

I rescheduled to see the HAND specialist….(another $320 charged to medicare)…. who again x-rayed my hands and told me the exact same story…except he said the procedure meant borrowing a nerve-graft from my leg…which would require me to schedule another visit with the LEG specialist. 👺

They knew their game. I turned the matter over to the medicate folks and have no idea what became of it.

My personal physician gave me some excersizes to perform with my hands which have relieved the problem.

We need to stop blaming the “gubmint” for our own lack of personal responsibilities to REPORT FRAUD and to be ACCOUNTABLE ourselves instead of blaming others.
I was real sick 13 years ago. Pulmonary Embolisms. While in the hospital, all sorts of doctors stopped by my room. I'd ask thier specialty and sent most packing. One was a OYB-GN!!! These crooks want to sign the chart and charge the fee.
 
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Biker1mike

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It is all a numbers game. Recent bills show it all too well.
Helicopter to hospital charges medicare 60,000 (us). Medicare pays less than 10,000 and I pay 250. The difference is written off as a loss on the corporate taxes.
Change the tax code so the cost to the government / user is a real number. Eliminate the write off as it is not real to begin with.
Of course big pharma and the medical industry is tied to politicians big time. There is a reason that US medical cost per person is higher than most of the rest of the world.
BTW: If you are not well insured and need that helicopter ride you can plan on a lien against your home and they will take it as soon as you stop payments. Or your estate will sell it to cover the cost.

Four days and one helicopter ride and I am seeing a total cost of $250,000 sent to medicare. In the end I am paying several thousand (edited out for content by Mike)

As to the actual topic. My medicare advantage program has only sent me few covid test kits and those were all requested by us.
 
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Henro

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The problem is that the feral government doesn't do anything. It does not produce anything. It does not develop anything. It does not innovate or improve upon anything. Simply, after consuming a large number of dollars, it redistributes the remaining dollars from one pocket to another based upon overtly complex policy and metric sh!t tons of red tape.
Guess I will have to remember that next time my Social Security is deposited, or when I use Medicare health insurance. 🥴

Back to the topic of this thread, I did one time in the past request free Covid tests.

The link posted by Tughill Tom answered my question I think.

Back off topic. If you think the government does nothing for you, next time you drive your vehicle, get where you are going without using any public roads. If you feel threatened don’t call 911. Heck, screw up and they will even provide you with free room and board! LOL. And then there is the military to protect us as a country…and the list goes on.
 
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