---
id: "coronavirus-smarter-crowdsourcing:strategies/Make-testing-free-for-low-income-or-high-risk-popu"
type: "GovLab policy strategy"
title: "Make testing free for low income or high-risk populations."
url: "https://coronavirus.smartercrowdsourcing.org/strategies/make-testing-free-for-low-income-or-high-risk-popu"
summary: "Make testing free for low income or high-risk populations. Governments should reduce barriers to testing by making testing free for specific populations,ideally for screening or surveillance purposes."
source: "The GovLab (coronavirus.smartercrowdsourcing.org)"
licence: "Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)"
---

# Make testing free for low income or high-risk populations.

Make testing free for low income or high-risk populations. Governments should reduce barriers to testing by making testing free for specific populations,ideally for screening or surveillance purposes.

- Timeframe: 1-3 Months (immediate)
- Audience: Civil Society, Vulnerable Populations, Healthcare Providers, Organized Civil Society, Nonprofits
- Type: Policy/Legislative/Regulatory, Communications, Vulnerable Populations, Procurement/Logistics
- Recommendation: [High-risk populations](https://coronavirus.smartercrowdsourcing.org/recommendations/high-risk-populations)
- Part of: [Smarter Crowdsourcing in the Age of Coronavirus](https://coronavirus.smartercrowdsourcing.org/)

## Actions governments should take

1. Investigate if testing fees can be waived by government health agencies mandated to provide health services to low income individuals
2. [Consider legislative or regulatory actions that could support low-cost or free testing for identified high-risk populations](https://appropriations.house.gov/news/press-releases/house-passes-families-first-coronavirus-response-act)