Information provided by the County of San Benito.
In order to increase the availability of testing for COVID-19, the state of California has partnered with OptumServe, a federal health care provider, to provide California communities with additional testing sites. San Benito County was selected to host a community testing site which was launched on May 5 at the Veterans Memorial Building located at 649 San Benito Street in Hollister. Testing by appointment only is available from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday for the next several months, according to a recent release.
Residents can make an appointment by calling (888) 634-1123 or going online at https://lhi.care/covidtesting. There will be no medical assessments done at the testing site. If you feel unwell or think you have symptoms of illness prior to your appointment please contact your medical provider.
How much does the OptumServe COVID-19 test cost?
There are no out-of-pocket costs for testing.
Why do you ask for insurance information?
The test through the OptumServe testing site is free to individuals, regardless of insurance status. If you have health insurance, your health plan is required to pay for approved COVID-19 tests, according to the state of California. By providing your insurance information, this allows reimbursement for the cost of the tests from your insurance company. However, insurance companies cannot in-turn bill individuals or charge any co-payments for COVID-19 tests. Your test is no cost or “free” to you.
Can I just show up to a testing site and see if they have availability?
No. All testing is by appointment only. Same day appointments may be available, but please make an appointment first at https://lhi.care/covidtestingg or by calling 888-634-1123.
Who is eligible to get tested?
Anyone who meets the testing criteria can be tested at an OptumServe community testing site, including uninsured, underinsured, undocumented and homeless individuals. OptumServe will generate a unique registration authorization number for individuals who do not have a driver’s license. Individuals must provide their registration authorization number at time of check-in.
What if I think I was exposed to COVID-19?
If you believe you may have been exposed to the virus, stay away from others and get tested.
How long does it take to get test results?
It typically takes between three to five days to receive your test results. OptumServe will notify you by email, text or phone. It is very important that you provide accurate and complete information when registering because this is what OptumServe uses to contact you with your results.
It’s been over five days since my test. How do I follow up on my results?
We understand that there have been incidents in which lab results are taking longer than expected from the OptumServe COVID-19 public testing sites. We apologize for the delays and are working with OptumServe to reduce them.
If you have not received your results, we ask that you log in to your OptumServe account you created when you registered for further information https://lhi.care/covidtesting.
What happens when someone tests positive?
OptumServe calls patients that test positive and gives them instructions to isolate. OptumServe also sends a text notifying the patient that they have test results and prompts them to log into their patient profile in the OptumServe portal.
How is the data tracked?
OptumServe sends the patient’s nasal swab specimen to Quest laboratory. Quest then processes the test, determines and generates the result (positive or negative) and then sends the test result to the California Reportable Disease Information Exchange (CalREDIE), a statewide public health database. The public health department where the patient resides is also notified of the test results. The Local Health Department staff including nurses, epidemiologists, doctors and support staff has access to this database.
How are out of county positives addressed?
Test results from individuals who test in San Benito County but reside in another county are not counted in San Benito County’s total confirmed case count.
Where are they counted?
Test results from residents that reside in other counties are sent to their respective counties. For example, if a patient lives in Aromas, where three county borders meet and has an address that is in Monterey County, their test results will be counted in Monterey County. If a patient lives in Santa Clara County and works in San Benito County, and chooses to test at the Hollister OptumServe site, the results will be sent to Santa Clara County Public Health and be counted in Santa Clara County’s data.
For more information on the services OptumServe provides go to http://www.optumserve.com. For information on COVID-19, go to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) website at https://www.cdc.gov/
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https://hhsa.cosb.us/