This content is being re-evaluated for editorial integrity. As of April 15, 2020, Everlywell has not responded to repeated requests from our editorial staff for more information about and clarification around the specimen collection kits for COVID-19 testing. On its website, Everlywell has walked back from its earlier announcement that the specimen collection kits would be distributed direct to consumers. A notice on the company’s website now states the initial supply went to hospitals and healthcare providers only. At this time, BXP’s staff cannot collaborate or deny this claim. This story will be removed if our requests for information continue to be denied. For now, we caution readers to read the announcement below with a skeptical eye.
-Linda Casey, editor-in-chief, BXP magazine
Everlywell, the digital health company which offers consumers access to at-home lab tests, announces that an at-home collection kit with telehealth diagnosis for COVID-19 will be available to consumers starting Monday, March 23. The initial supply of 30,000 tests amounts to a significant increase in total COVID-19 tests that have been processed in the U.S. as of March 18, 2020. By working with multiple labs to scale infrastructure, the company plans to have testing and diagnosis capacity for a quarter of a million people weekly.
Using its existing infrastructure and distribution for at-home lab testing, earlier this month Everlywell announced a $1 million dollar development incentive to any certified laboratories who fulfilled requirements set by the FDA and Everlywell to prioritize development of a COVID-19 diagnostic test. The positive response from the laboratory community enabled Everlywell to build the full testing and diagnosis experience for COVID-19 in a matter of days.
“Everlywell was founded to give people affordable, convenient access to lab testing. Never has our mission been more important,” said Julia Cheek, founder and CEO of Everlywell. “Our team has been working around the clock with top scientists and laboratories in the nation to develop a test that we will make available at the lowest price possible while covering our costs, at no profit to the company. We have also reached out to government and public health officials to explore possibilities to provide it for free.”
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The test can be requested online by consumers experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. Samples can be collected at home, preventing further exposure for themselves and the public. All of Everlywell’s laboratory partners conducting COVID-19 testing are complying with FDA’s Emergency Use Authorization for COVID-19 testing.
Like Everlywell’s other tests, the COVID-19 test will be shipped to customers with everything needed to collect a sample at home and safely ship that sample to a CLIA-certified laboratory partner. Samples will be shipped to partner labs with overnight delivery, secure digital results will be available online within 48 hours of the lab receiving the sample, and free telehealth consultations with an independent, board-certified physician will be available for those with positive results.
“As the COVID-19 public health emergency continues to worsen with community spread across the United States, there is an unmet medical need to broaden the access to testing for SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus in a responsible manner to complement and help alleviate the potential overload on healthcare systems and healthcare providers if testing was only available in the limited clinical setting,” said Dr. Frank Ong, M.D., Chief Medical and Scientific Officer of Everlywell.
Availability, Pricing and How It Works
To access a COVID-19 test, consumers can go to www.everlywell.com where they will be asked to complete a screening questionnaire, provided by our independent telehealth partner and based on guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC). The test will be available for $135 at no profit to Everlywell, and will be covered by participating HSA and FSA providers. Everlywell has reached out to government officials and public health departments to see if the test can be made available for free. Given the high demand for testing, the company will work rapidly to make more tests available as the global supply shortage for COVID-19 diagnostic kits is addressed.
The testing experience includes:
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- Overnight sample delivery (a shipping label is included).
- Infectious disease sample collection and shipping materials to safely ship your sample, using COVID-19 guidelines set by the CDC and the recommendations provided by the United Nations Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods (UN).
- Private, secure digital results provided to all users within days. (Everlywell is a HIPAA compliant company and we never sell customer data).
- Individuals with positive results will be offered a telehealth consult with an independent board-certified physician from PWNHealth.
- Positive results will be communicated to all mandated federal and state reporting agencies.
“The extreme shortage of tests for COVID-19 puts millions of Americans at risk,” added Cheek. “Everlywell is committed to helping stop the spread of COVID-19 in the U.S. by making this test widely available. As the national leader in at-home lab testing, we want to use our resources and expertise to help as many people as we can. We are committed to this fight, and we’re here to help.”
About Everlywell
Everlywell believes consumers deserve access to affordable lab tests and insightful, digitally-enabled results with actionable next steps. The company connects consumers to lab partners offering a suite of validated lab tests including Cholesterol, Heart Health, Fertility, STDs and STIs, Lyme Disease, Testosterone, Thyroid and more. Prices are straightforward starting at $39 and are generally covered by Flexible Spending and Health Savings Accounts. Physician-reviewed, actionable test results from CLIA-certified labs are provided within days of sample receipt.
The Austin-based company was founded in 2015 and is advised by a Scientific Advisory Board that includes some of the nation’s top scientists from Harvard, MIT, Google and NYU. Everlywell was selected as one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies in 2019.
For more information please visit www.everlywell.com.
SOURCE Everlywell
