This is the Cato Daily Podcast for Tuesday, May 5th, 2020. I'm Caleb Brown.

The FDA finally approved an at-home test for COVID-19, but guess what? That test and tests that have yet to be

created are already banned at a handful of states. Walter Olson is a senior fellow at the

Cato Institute, we discussed why some states don't seem to want you to have independent access to your own medical information.

The FDA has just, as of this recording, it was two days ago that they finally approved an at-home test for COVID-19

so Americans can learn their status more quickly. But even before that, a few states had effectively

banned these kinds of tests and Lab Corp the company that is providing

this at-home test says we will not be providing tests in those states.

That is disturbing to those of us who live in those states.

Lab Corp said that it was going to offer the tests,

starting with one of the groups most in need of it, health care providers and first responders, and it was going to offer it in 46 states.

The other four being New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island,

and Maryland.

And when the Associated Press covered this story, it added, and whether this is exactly true, we can get into it, but it added that those are four states, were at home testing of this sort is illegal. Now those laws have

been on the books for a while and in fact have caused some controversy.

People may remember that some years ago,

people who wanted to go on 23 and me,

the genetic test service.

I believe that in my own state of Maryland, many of them found that they could only

get it by listing their DC office as the return address. Then 23 and me would send you a kid.

And these laws have been imposed. then 23 and me would send you a kid.

And these laws have been imposed in some of the more regulatory states,

...