NOMI Health testing sites expanding across Nebraska, providing free COVID-19 tests

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) - Bryan Health said it continues to see people coming into the emergency room to get a COVID-19 tests, something it’s asking people not to do.

People in Lincoln, Omaha and Council Bluffs still have free options for testing with NOMI Health, the company the State partnered with to power Test Nebraska.

Outside Gateway Mall in Lincoln, it’s a scene reminiscent to what Test Nebraska sites looked like before Nebraska ended the program the last day of July. Cars steadily streamed through all day.

“We were all hopeful we would be through this and done with it,” said Dr. June Steely, the NOMI Health medical director. “Then the Delta variant made life different than we all hoped it would be.”

Ten days after Test Nebraska closed, a new NOMI Health tent opened in the parking lot.

“We saw those numbers rising and decided we wanted to reach out directly to patients,” Steely said.

Nebraska is currently averaging about 800 cases per day, a rate that’s more than doubled since early August.

NOMI Health operates three sites. They’re opening two more in the coming weeks in Grand Island and Scottsbluff.

“We want testing to be convenient and close to where people live,” Steely said.

NOMI has done more than 13,000 tests in Nebraska so far through their two options, PCR and rapid antigen tests.

The rapid tests are processed on site with results in about an hour. The PCR tests are sent to NOMI’s lab in Salt Lake City, Utah. Results typically come back in less than 48 hours.

Steely said they ask for insurance and bill through insurance, but don’t charge a co-pay or deductible. If you don’t have insurance you won’t be turned away.

“A patient will never get a bill from us,” Steely said.

You can show up to a site and register or schedule a test online here: http://testing.nomihealth.com/signup/NE

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