FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – To help returning students and others test for the presence of COVID-19, the university is coordinating a mass testing clinic on campus for the first five weeks of the spring semester starting Jan 18. The walk-up clinic will be conducted by an outside vendor and is open to members of the campus community who are not experiencing COVID-19 symptoms – no appointment necessary. 

Those who are experiencing symptoms should make an appointment at Pat Walker Health Center or at an off-campus medical provider for evaluation and testing. 

The mass clinic will be held outside at the Union Mall for all members of the campus community, Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Jan. 18 through Feb. 18). Participants will be asked to complete a brief registration form before testing. Additional details to keep in mind:  

• Please bring your ID and insurance card if you have one.
• Cost 
  • For those with medical insurance, there are no out-of-pocket costs for COVID-19 testing on campus – as long as you can provide your insurance card at the time of testing. 
    • Insurance co-pays or deductibles will not be charged to insured persons presenting their insurance cards at the test site.
    • The vendor encourages you to check with your insurance company about testing coverage.  While vendor will not charge for any copays or deductibles, your insurance company may deny coverage and bill for testing charges.
    • The testing contractor is required to notify you if an insurance provider denies reimbursement for testing.  
  • For the uninsured, you will not be charged for testing IF you can provide a social security number instead. 
  • For the uninsured without a social security number (who are asymptomatic), a $100 fee will be required for testing. 
• PCR testing, the gold standard for accurately detecting an active COVID-19 infection, will be utilized for all testing at the clinic.
• The mass testing clinic will provide testing only and will not include medical provider follow-up.
• Participants should arrive at the registration tent and will then be directed to a testing tent.
• Anyone who is considered a close contact or may have recently been exposed to COVID-19 (but is not experiencing symptoms) should be tested. 
• If you receive a positive test at this clinic, it is important that you self-report your positive case.

Those who are experiencing symptoms should make an appointment at Pat Walker Health Center or at an off-campus medical provider for evaluation and testing. 

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $2.2 billion to Arkansas’ economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the top 3% of U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research News.