Travis Warner of Dallas got tested for the coronavirus at a free-standing emergency room in June 2020 after one of his colleagues tested positive for the virus. The emergency room bill included a $54,000 charge for one test. Laura Buckman for KHN hide caption
Drivers line up for COVID-19 testing in the Sherman Oaks neighborhood of Los Angeles in May. Kevin Winter/Getty Images hide caption
An illustration shows spiky antigens studding the virus's outer coat. Tests under development that look for these antigens might be faster than PCR tests for diagnosing COVID-19, proponents say. But the tests might still need PCR-test confirmation. Sergii Iaremenko/Science Photo Library/Getty Images hide caption