2 Illinois COVID-19 testing labs under investigation after complaints pour in
CHICAGO - Two more COVID-19 pop-up testing companies are under investigation by The Illinois Department of Public Health.
One is Northshore Clinical Laboratories, which the Illinois attorney general has received over 30 complaints about. The other is O’Hare Clinical Lab Services.
Video from outside an O’Hare Clinical location in the 1400 of South Ashland Ave. shows they were still open for business. A sign outside reads, ‘Open with results in 10 minutes.’
However, an investigation underway by the Illinois attorney general found 29 complaints. Many people who went to the lab say they are still waiting to find out if they are negative or positive for COVID-19.
"Majority of them allege they were unable to get the test results in a timely manner, if at all. Several of the [consumers] [said] they had to pay extra to get expedited service and that they were only accepting cash. One of the consumers said they had to get out $100 dollars for this service. So we're looking into that as well," said Steve Bernas of the Better Business Bureau.
A complaint filed on the BBB’s website in December of 2021 says, "No results from either test. Unable to reach company by phone and emails get returned. It appears they are testing for government reimbursement, but not actually sending tests to the lab."
Block Club Chicago reports the company has been reimbursed more than $186-million from the federal government for testing since the pandemic started.
FOX 32 did email the company and received a message saying the inbox was full.
O’Hare Clinical Labs did acknowledge delays because of the omicron surge.
Based in Chicago, on their site they list more than 100 testing locations across the country from Illinois, to Tennessee, Florida, and even Kentucky. In that state, they have seven pop-ups. Officials there are also investigating complaints from consumers.
"Most consumers are very frustrated. They thought there was government oversight, only to find out they aren’t regulated by any government entity," said Bernas.
If you want to file a complaint against these pop-up sites, the attorney general encourages you to visit IllinoisAttorneyGeneral.gov.