About the ICATT Program
About the ICATT Program
CDC’s Increasing Community Access to Testing (ICATT) program provides fair and just access to COVID-19 testing by focusing on higher-risk communities, the uninsured, and surge testing in state and local jurisdictions.
To increase testing for uninsured and at-risk populations, the ICATT program prioritizes testing resources for those who are symptomatic, have been exposed, or are at risk of developing severe outcomes. Additionally, the ICATT program bills tests to third-party payers, such as Medicare, Medicaid, and private health insurers to increase program sustainability. Savings supports testing for the uninsured.
Types of Tests Offered under the ICATT Program
COVID-19 tests offered vary by location and vendor but include laboratory-based nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) and rapid point-of-care (POC) testing. Both types of tests can tell you if you have a current COVID-19 infection. You will usually receive a result within 24–48 hours after you get tested. Over-the-counter COVID-19 tests (also known as self-tests or at-home tests) are available for purchase at pharmacies and other locations.
Where Testing is Offered
The ICATT program will increase community access to testing by selecting testing sites based on the Rural-Urban Commuting Areas (RUCA) and CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability index (SVI). ICATT program testing locations may shift to focus on areas with higher social vulnerability. Visit the websites below to find no-cost ICATT testing at select locations:
- Color Health provides laboratory based NAAT testing at independent pharmacies, community sites, and libraries.
- CVS provides laboratory based NAAT and rapid POC testing at both community testing sites and CVS pharmacies.
- eTrueNorth provides testing at independent pharmacies and retail locations including Health Mart and Topco.
- Quest Diagnostics provides testing at Quest Diagnostics locations.
- Walgreens provides laboratory based NAAT and rapid POC testing at Walgreens pharmacies.
- Longview International Technology Solutions provides testing at unmanned kiosks and community sites.
What Happens During a Surge of COVID-19
The ICATT program works with public health and private sector partners to provide no-cost, short-term COVID-19 surge testing sites to highly affected communities. ICATT partners can rapidly set up COVID-19 surge testing sites.
How ICATT Pharmacies and Locations Work
CDC’s ICATT program works with pharmacies and other testing facilities nationwide to offer no-cost COVID-19 testing. ICATT selects pharmacy testing sites, monitors pharmacy testing, and works with states to improve testing activities.
ICATT pharmacy sites will:
- schedule appointments
- register patients for testing
- collect patient samples
- process tests
- report results to individuals and public health entities
ICATT locations offer testing at a variety of pharmacies, commercial laboratory sites, community sites, and retail locations. Although the ICATT mission focuses on providing testing for communities that are underserved, all testing sites are open to the public.