Published: May 10, 2023
LANSING, MI – Almost three years after Sparrow’s innovative drive-thru lab site opened at Frandor, patients will now be required to have a physician order in advance to obtain a COVID test at Frandor and all other COVID testing sites.
The change is due to the end of the Federal Pandemic Declaration at 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, May 11. As a result, insurance will no longer cover COVID testing at Sparrow locations without a provider order. The need for a physician order begins Friday, May 12.
Those seeking treatment or testing for COVID should contact their Sparrow Medical Group provider for a consultation and order. Those without a primary care provider can request a Sparrow On-Demand video visit on the MySparrow Portal or at Sparrow.org/VirtualHealth, or through a visit at any of Sparrow’s Urgent/Walk-in Care locations. Patients can still get blood draws at the Frandor drive-thru site, along with COVID tests with a physician order.
Sparrow has performed 930,000 COVID tests throughout the health system since the pandemic began in March 2020. The Sparrow Drive-Thru Lab Services site has received international attention as an example of the innovation Sparrow exhibited throughout the pandemic. The former Sears Automotive Center was converted into a testing site after being closed for years. Besides quickly implementing a strict visitor policy and masking mandate after the pandemic began, Sparrow was also one of the first hospitals in Michigan to offer COVID tests to inpatients.
For more information about Sparrow Laboratories, go to Sparrow.org/Labs.
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Sparrow is Mid-Michigan’s premier health care organization that includes hospitals in Lansing, Charlotte, St. Johns, Ionia and Carson City, as well as Physicians Health Plan, Sparrow Care Network, Sparrow Medical Group, the Michigan Athletic Club, and AL!VE. Sparrow is affiliated with Michigan Medicine through the Sparrow Children’s Center and with Michigan State University’s three human health colleges. Through these partnerships and the dedication of our 10,000 Caregivers, Sparrow pursues a vision to be nationally recognized as a leader in quality and Patient experience. For more information, visit Sparrow.org.
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