NSW Health has confirmed COVID-19 testing is free after reports several people had been charged for the service at some private clinics in Sydney.
People who showed up to the clinics without a Medicare card were reportedly charged a fee.
NSW Health today said the service does not cost anything and those people will be reimbursed for what they paid.
"While you can provide your Medicare card at the clinic you attend for testing, you do not need a Medicare card to be tested and you will not be charged," NSW Health said in a statement.
NSW Health also confirmed they will continue to waive fees for suspected cases of COVID-19 in overseas visitors who are ineligible for Medicare and present to NSW hospitals for testing.
There are more than 350 testing sites available across NSW with many open seven days a week.
There is no charge for having a test done at any of these sites if you don't have your Medicare card with you.
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https://twitter.com/NSWHealth/status/1346643824328601602?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
NSW Health said the only time there will ever be a charge for a COVID-19 test is "for the purposes of travel to other jurisdictions that require a negative test prior to travel".