Most health insurance plans, including Medicare Part B, will cover the cost of at-home COVID-19 tests. Please check with your health insurance provider for details.

It can be confusing to know whether the symptoms you’re experiencing are related to COVID-19. Find out more information here. 

The safety of our associates, customers and communities is our number one priority. During this unprecedented crisis, we are taking many extra precautions to continue to serve our customers during a time when they need our help the most. We follow local guidance regarding protective measures.

Our stores, pharmacies and distribution centers are all following CDC guidance to help stop the spread of the virus.

Our stores and distribution centers are using cleaning kits that include hand sanitizers, wipes, masks and gloves.  We are cleaning more frequently and constantly disinfecting high-traffic surfaces throughout these locations. We follow strict cleaning procedures per CDC guidance when an associate has tested positive for COVID-19 or is presumed to have a case of COVID-19, including closing the store for a comprehensive sanitizing regimen, when necessary.

We also offer services such as delivery, drive thru (at select locations), 90 day script refills and much more. 

We have signs and tape markers encouraging you to keep six feet of distance from others. We are installing Plexiglass shields at the registers and pharmacy windows.

Rite Aid understands that the elderly population and those with underlying medical conditions are particularly susceptible to COVID-19. We have set aside special daily shopping hours between 9 am and 10 am to serve senior citizens and those with a weakened immune system.

If you’re not a senior or somebody with a weakened immune system, we appreciate your patience, flexibility and willingness to visit our stores outside of that reserved hour. If you need a prescription during that time, we encourage you to use our full-service pharmacy windows available at most locations or to call ahead to the store for accommodation. We encourage everybody to also take advantage of free prescription delivery, and online shopping options to minimize person-to-person contact.

All three of Rite Aid’s COVID-19 tests (drive-thru, mail-in, at-home) only take a few minutes to complete. 

Testing is painless and just requires swabbing midway in both nostrils. 

Drive-thru: You’ll receive your results within 2-5 days via the email you provided at registration, though results may be delayed due to weather and/or during periods of high demand. If positive, a health care worker will call you.

Mail-in PCR: Return your kit with free overnight return shipping the same day you take your sample. Get results within 2 business days of your kit arriving at the lab.

At-home antigen: Most at-home tests will yield results within 15 minutes. Follow manufacturer directions, as test procedures vary. 

Rite Aid’s drive-thru PCR tests satisfy the requirements for many travel destinations, but to ensure there are no issues with your travel, be sure to check the requirements posted on your destination’s website or the CDC website. These websites should indicate approved tests or labs that can be used to satisfy their specific testing requirements. If you’re traveling to Hawaii, please note that Rite Aid is not currently one of the listed approved partners for testing prior to travel to Hawaii. Test results are typically returned within 2-5 days but may be delayed due to weather and/or during periods of high demand, so please plan accordingly. 

A PCR test detects RNA (genetic material) specific to the SARS-CoV-2 virus. It can identify the virus within days of infection, even in asymptomatic individuals. PCR tests can be performed in a clinic, a hospital, or even in your car, but they are analyzed in a lab, so results take longer (usually 2-3 days). When demand is high, results can take a week or longer. This test is more sensitive and more likely to provide accurate results; however, PCR tests can also detect previous infection in individuals who have recovered from COVID-19 recently.

An antigen test detects protein fragments specific to SARS-CoV-2. This test can be performed at home or at work. Results are available quickly, sometimes in as little as 15 minutes. These tests are less sensitive with a higher likelihood of false negatives, but they are useful for identifying active infections in individuals likely to transmit the virus.

Each person covered by a health insurance plan is eligible to receive no-cost tests, including dependents of the insured person (except children under 2). Limited state Medicaid customers in California, New Hampshire, and Virginia may be eligible to receive no-cost test kits. As of April 2022, customers covered by Medicare Part B are now eligible for this program.

Most customers can receive a maximum of 8 no-cost COVID-19 tests per insured person age 2+, per month. Other at-home tests may be covered by insurance as a reimbursable expense if you save your receipt. Reach out to your health insurance plan for details.

Under most insurance plans, each person covered can receive up to 8 no-cost tests per month.