Occ Med Providers Take Note: Companies Are Pushing Workers to Get Tested Frequently

Amazon and Whole Foods employees were told this week that weekly, no-cost testing for COVID-19 is available to them—and encouraged—on a weekly basis. Amazon is especially keen on ensuring frontline workers in California get tested at least once a week, given recent updates in workplace standards there. Currently, tests are being administered on site by Concentra, though not during an employee’s regular working hours. However, according to a report posted by CNBC, workers are promised 1.5 hours of compensation to offset time and travel spent on getting tested. This should serve as a good case study for urgent care operators who offer occupational medicine services. Employers—and the entire U.S. economy—need to ensure that workers remain healthy and ready to work, creating a significant need that could be met by urgent care. JUCM covered this very topic recently in an article entitled Employer COVID-19 Testing Needs Are Not Fully Met; Rapid Testing Is an Unprecedented Opportunity For Urgent Care.