Everlywell and Vault Health enlist DoorDash to help deliver COVID-19 PCR test collection kits.

Omar Ford

March 25, 2021

2 Min Read
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Vault Health and Everlywell are reaching out to DoorDash in an effort to make FDA-authorized COVID-19 test collection kits widely available to consumers.

Yup, you read that right medtech is teaming up with DoorDash, the online food ordering and food delivery platform.

The Vault Health COVID-19 Saliva Test Kit and Everlywell COVID-19 Test Home Collection Kit DTC will be available for same-day delivery through the DoorDash marketplace app.

The two digital health companies will focus on 12 DashMart locations across the U.S. including Baltimore, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Minneapolis, and Phoenix, with more cities rolling out in the coming months.

Vault Health’s COVID-19 Saliva Test Kit is a supervised saliva collection PCR test for COVID-19 that is performed under the supervision of Vault staff through an audio-video visit to confirm identity, ensure proper saliva sample collection and quantity for the most accurate results, and answer any outstanding COVID-19 questions. The Vault test is available on DoorDash for $119 and may be eligible for reimbursement with healthcare insurance.

Everlywell’s COVID-19 Test Home Collection Kit DTC uses a gentle nasal swab and includes a prepaid shipping label for easy overnight shipping to a certified lab, after which results are available in as little as 24 hours. This mail-in PCR test is FDA-authorized for asymptomatic and symptomatic testing without a doctor's prescription and is available for same-day delivery on the DoorDash app for $109, includes a free telehealth consult with a doctor for anyone who needs it, and may be eligible for reimbursement with healthcare insurance.

"As many as 30 percent of people skip doctor's appointments because they don't have a reliable way of getting there," said Dr. Marisa Cruz, Head of Clinical Affairs at Everlywell and former Senior Medical Advisor for Digital Health at FDA. "The fact that you can now get a kit delivered to your door in hours, quickly collect a sample and drop your kit in the mail, and then receive an accurate COVID-19 diagnosis and speak to a physician about next steps in as little as 24 hours later is a significant step forward for public health".

Everlywell has hit some significant milestones recently. Earlier this week, the company acquired PWNHealth and Home Access Health Corporation. From this merger the firm was able to form the parent company Everly Health.

Everlywell holds the distinction of being the first digital health company to receive FDA authorization for a mail-in COVID-19 test and is one of the first companies to receive direct to consumer authorization from the FDA for its COVID-19 Test Home Collection Kit DTC. 

And investors responded well to the news because late last year,  Everlywell raised $175 million in an oversubscribed D round. The Austin, TX-based company said it plans to use the funds to expand its virtual care offerings, scale its testing and infrastructure, drive clinical research, and disease management through testing, and grow its national leadership position in the at-home testing market.

 

About the Author(s)

Omar Ford

Omar Ford is MD+DI's Editor-in-Chief. You can reach him at [email protected].

 

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