Federal Investigation Closes COVID-19 Tester With Wisconsin Locations

WISCONSIN — Pop-up COVID-19 testing locations across Wisconsin remain vacant after the Center for COVID Control announced it would close indefinitely amid probes by multiple states and the Federal Bureau of Investigations.

The pop-up was set to open again on Saturday, the same day FBI agents raided its headquarters in Rolling Meadows, Illinois, the Chicago Tribune reported. The Center for COVID Control had over 200 locations across the country, with 27 in Wisconsin.

"As previously announced, CCC is using this operational pause to train additional staff on sample collection and handling, customer service and communications best practices, as well as compliance with regulatory guidelines," the company said in a statement.

The Minnesota Attorney General's Office has filed a consumer protection lawsuit against the company, which has been reimbursed more than $124 million from the federal government for coronavirus testing, USA Today reported.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is investigating "numerous complaints" about multiple laboratories and testing sites associated with CCC, chief medical officer Lee Fleisher said in a statement.

"It is our understanding that the Center for COVID Control voluntarily suspended their operations indefinitely," Fleisher added. "CMS continues our investigations and will take compliance and enforcement actions as appropriate."

The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection received two complaints about CCC, department spokesperson Ti Gauger told Patch.

Wisconsin Department of Health Services spokesperson Elizabeth Goodsitt told Patch that health services researches each complaint about COVID-19 provider testing or billing practices, but wasn't able to offer more details about the complaints.

See Also:

• Shorewood COVID Tester Still Closed After Feds Search Illinois HQ
• COVID-19 Testing Company Halts WI Operations Due To Investigation

Health and city officials in Appleton and Madison have sent complaints to state health services, and CCC testing sites aren't listed on Wisconsin's directory for COVID-19 testing sites.

To find official COVID-19 testing sites in Wisconsin:

• Milwaukee County residents can find local testing sites at HealthyMKE.
• Check the Wisconsin Department of Health Services COVID-19 community testing sites.