Are doctors too cheap to perform a rapid flu test?
“In general, it costs about $45 to purchase and perform the test. But Medicaid and Medicare reimburse doctors only $8 for the test.

‘You can see that a doctor who might want to use this test would actually lose money every time he tries to accurately and rapidly diagnose the flu,’ Grover said.”

Dr. Grover is sadly misguided, suggesting that money is a motivating factor. Influenza is largely a clinical diagnosis, and the rapid flu test really isn’t needed during flu season:

A decision analysis performed before the availability of PCR based testing assessed the value of rapid diagnostic testing prior to the use of neuraminidase inhibitors versus empiric use of these antiviral agents. This analysis concluded that rapid diagnostic testing was appropriate first except during influenza epidemics. When the probability of a case being due to influenza reached 42 percent, the two strategies were equivalent.

So once again the media misleads, as not everyone warrants a rapid flu test.