BINAXNOW COVID-19 RAPID ANTIGEN CARD-AVAILABLE IMMEDIATELY

In the Fall of 2020, Abbott manufactured 50 million tests/month of the BinaxNOW Covid-19 rapid antigen test.  The Department of Health & Human Services bought all tests & made the test available to numerous NC SNF/LTC facilities through an allocation process.  This made the test unavailable for commercial purchase for the post-acute care market & may have limited available supply across the market.  HHS recently announced a second agreement to support the continued testing across the SNF/post-acute care market.

Additionally, Abbott has made the BinaxNOW™ Covid-19 Ag Card available to all SNF’s with availability for consistent and uninterrupted supply.  You can buy the test through two distribution channels: McKesson or Medline.

What does this mean for facilities?  1) The second agreement with HHS/Abbott is smaller then the original agreement last Fall.  If you’re able to continue to receive 100% of your Covid-19 testing supplies from HHS, please continue in this arrangement and you will be all set.

2) If you find that your supplies decrease from HHS OR your Covid-19 testing needs are over and above what you receive, know that you can bridge the gap to meet your needs by buying from either McKesson or Medline for $7/test.

If you have any questions on the test or have interest in purchasing to supplement your residents/staff Covid-19 testing needs – you can reach out to NC Abbott rep Matthew Hufman at Matthew.Hufman@abbott.com or (407) 419-1445 for questions/answers.

Quick Test Highlights

• Available for $7 per test
• Visually read results in 15 minutes – no instrument required
• Simple Lateral Flow test using a direct nasal swab
• Consistent product availability with no volume commitment