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NEW YORK – New York State has agreed to pay BioReference Laboratories $150 million for analyzing Covid-19 diagnostic and antibody tests through July 25, according to a database of state contracts.
BioReference, a subsidiary of Miami-based Opko Health, tests the samples collected at 11 drive-through facilities around the state, including in New Rochelle and at Jones Beach State Park in Nassau County. It also operates 21 walk-up centers for diagnostic tests, according to the company. The three-month contract period started April 26.
It first announced working with the state on drive-through testing March 13. State records show New York agreed to pay $15 million through the end of March and had paid about $3.7 million of that amount as of Wednesday.
New York City last week announced a separate agreement to test 140,000 residents for antibodies at five locations. BioReference started processing antibody tests for the state April 29 with plans to analyze 400,000 patient samples per day by this point.
Jon Cohen, BioReference’s executive chairman, told Crain’s last month that his previous public-sector experience helped the company connect quickly with the state and the city to ramp up testing. He was a chief policy adviser to former Gov. David Paterson.
BioReference also announced yesterday it that had entered an agreement with the Westchester Medical Center Health Network to provide laboratory administrative services, operations, reference testing, and outpatient lab services to the 10-hospital health system, headquartered in Valhalla, New York.
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