Doctors selling coronavirus tests say they are looking out for their patients, but critics condemn the practice as unprofessional and say it underscores inequities in the U.S. health system.
The Medical Board of California is looking into physicians selling COVID-19 tests while sick people around the country can’t get tested because of a nationwide shortage, a board spokesman said Monday morning.that “concierge” doctors who cater to rich people and celebrities have been selling testing to patients and their families, in some cases even if they have no symptoms or any other reason to be tested.
Another physician, Dr. David Nazarian in Beverly Hills, said last week he was planning to open a drive-through for rapid blood tests, shipped from China. He said he would charge patients who use the service about $500 or $600, which would also include a consultation and follow-up as well as help pay for the cost of labor and protective equipment to administer the test.
But state Sen. Richard Pan denounced selling the tests at high prices to whomever can afford them, saying it was unprofessional conduct that the medical board should investigate.
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