Test to Treat
Santa Barbara County Public Health is proud to announce that the Test to Treat option is now available in Santa Barbara County. Through Test to Treat, people will be able to get tested, and—if they are positive and eligible for treatment—receive a prescription from a health care provider, and have their prescription filled all at one location.
*Note: People can continue to be tested and treated by their own health care providers who can appropriately prescribe these oral antivirals at locations where the medicines are distributed.
How Test to Treat Works for Individuals and Families
COVID-19 treatments must be started early in order to work. With the new Test to Treat initiative, eligible patients can get tested and start treatment in one visit to a participating site.
Step 1: Get Tested
You can use the web-based Test to Treat locator to find a participating site near you. You can also call 1-800-232-0233 (TTY 1-888-720-7489) to get help in English, Spanish, and more than 150 other languages. The call center is open from 8am to midnight ET, 7 days a week. In addition, the Disability Information and Access Line (DIAL) is available to help people with disabilities access services.
FREE Virtual COVID-19 Visit for Californians Ages 12 and Up: CLICK HERE.
Step 2: Get a prescription from an on-site healthcare provider if you are at high risk of getting very sick
If you test positive for COVID-19, ask the on-site health care provider during your appointment if you are eligible for a prescription for a COVID-19 oral antiviral treatment. Bring any medications (or a list of the medications you are currently taking) with you to your appointment.
Step 3: Get Treated
Ask the on-site or affiliated pharmacist to fill the prescription. Once your prescription has been filled, you can take your oral antiviral pills home with you to begin treatment!
How to Get COVID-19 Treatments
- If you have symptoms, call your health care provider right away to ask about testing and if you qualify for COVID-19 treatments.
- Stay home and isolate away from others to avoid making them sick.
- If you don’t have a health care provider or don’t hear back from your provider within a few days, visit a Test to Treat location to get rapid testing and find out if treatments are right for you.
- If you are uninsured, get free care at an OptumServe Test to Treat location.
COVID-19 treatments are not a substitute for COVID-19 vaccines. While treatments are an essential tool in the fight against COVID-19, vaccines are how we get through the pandemic. Go to MyTurn to book your appointment to find a walk-in clinic near you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Testing and treatment provided at OptumServe Test to Treat sites are intended to provide access for people without insurance or who are unable to obtain timely testing and treatment through their usual healthcare provider. Services will be free of cost.
Not all Test to Treat sites in California are OptumServe. People should ask about fees when they call a non-OptumServe Test to Treat site.
Most COVID-19 medications are currently free, but some testing and treating facilities may charge an administration or visit fee that may be covered by insurance. People should ask about these fees when they call a Test to Treat site.
Not all Test to Treat sites in California are OptumServe. People should ask about fees when they call a non-OptumServe Test to Treat site.
- Talk to your healthcare provider
- Visit a test to treat location
- Contact your local community health center or health department
CLICK HERE for Paxlovid information & side effects.
CLICK HERE for Molnupiravir information & side effects.
Paxlovid: 12+ years of age and over 88lbs. CLICK HERE for more information.
Molnupiravir: 18+ years of age. CLICK HERE for more information.
Some treatments might have side effects or interact with other medications you are taking. To find out if medications to treat COVID-19 are right for you, you have options:
- Talk to your healthcare provider
- Visit a test to treat location
- Contact your local community health center or health department
If you are hospitalized, your healthcare provider might use other types of treatments, depending on how sick you are. These could include medications to treat the virus, reduce an overactive immune response, or treat COVID-19 complications.
