During the pandemic, many health conscious consumers went online to buy a wide range of health and wellness products. And, now they can buy the peace of mind a medical test may provide without visiting a doctor’s office, clinic or hospital. At-home testing kits for COVID-19 and a variety of other conditions are now available from a number of companies, including LetsGetChecked and Everlywell. These companies are gaining consumer confidence through their lab certification processes, privacy measures and personalization. LetsGetChecked and Everlywell are connecting directly to consumers through their online platforms, and they are using digital media channels, strategic partnerships and influencer marketing to reach consumers and boost sales. 

At-Home Medical Test Kits And Online Digital Platforms Are Working Together To Get Results

LetsGetChecked is a leading personal health testing and insights company that offers more than 30 at-home testing kits for coronavirus, STDs and vitamin deficiencies. The kits can be purchased directly online at letsgetchecked.com or on Amazon, and at some retail stores and pharmacies like CVS. Austin-based Everlywell was the first company to receive an Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA to sell an at-home COVID-19 test. Everlywell also offers 35 different testing panels ranging from food sensitivity to fertility. The testing kits are sold online and at retailers CVS and Target. 

For both LetsGetChecked and Everlywell, once a kit is received at home, the customer activates the test online, completes an online health screening, takes the test as directed and sends it back to the company. After lab testing and review by a medical team, additional support services are offered including medical advice and, in some cases, e-prescriptions via an online platform. To gain the trust of consumers, the companies both emphasize stringent privacy measures on their websites, anonymous analysis of samples, a promise not to share data with third parties and industry standard encryption methods. Both LetsGetchecked and Everlywell also emphasize personalized service, with results reviewed by teams of certified physicians and delivered via nurses by phone and the online platforms. 

LetsGetChecked’s online platform and app, called a health dashboard by the company, can be used to connect health data from the tests with data from wearable devices such as Apple Health, Fitbit and Garmin. Some types of tests, such as hormone or cholesterol tests, are available by subscription from LetsGetChecked. Everlywell also offers a subscription option, including a monthly membership for testing for sexually transmitted diseases. As institutions, schools and businesses work to open their physical facilities, the market for wholesale coronavirus tests has grown and LetsGetChecked and Everlywell both offer their coronavirus tests in bulk to meet this need. 

Booming Demand For At-Home Tests Aligns With Rise In Consumer Adoption Of Ecommerce

Ecommerce sales for medical at-home tests has seen significant growth this year. LetsGetChecked sales have boomed since the onset of the pandemic in March, recording 880% year-over-year growth from 2019. The company has seen major upticks in online sales of all of its tests, and LetsGetChecked chief executive, Peter Foley credits much of the growth to online sales as many consumers seek to avoid doctors, hospitals and clinics out of concern over the pandemic. Everlywell has also seen major increases in the number of people buying its at-home health tests since the pandemic started. Online sales of thyroid tests in March and April jumped more than 120% compared to January and February, the site’s Vitamin D kit saw a 118% increase and a comprehensive women’s health test saw an uptick of 64%. 

Everlywell and LetsGetChecked Form Strategic Partnerships To Promote At-Home Medical Test Sales

Both popular at-home testing brands have formed strategic partnerships with healthcare companies to provide testing for insurance members during the pandemic.

LetsGetChecked + United Healthcare And ConcertoHealth

LetsGetChecked has partnered with United Healthcare since 2018 and scaled up this partnership in March 2020 at the outset of the pandemic. LetsGetChecked also partnered with ConcertoHealth in June to provide tests for the coronavirus to vulnerable patients in Washington and Ohio. According to Foley, ConcertoHealth ​“carries out hugely important work on the front line of healthcare, looking after the health of the most vulnerable populations in the states in which it operates.”

Everlywell + Humana

Partnered with Humana, a health insurance company with more than 20 million members, Everlywell provides tests to send to the homes of patients due for screenings for a variety of health concerns. 

LetsGetChecked + American Airlines

LetsGetChecked and American Airlines are forming a mutually beneficial partnership to enable safe air travel through the use of coronavirus testing. Airports around the country are requiring travelers to show proof of negative coronavirus tests before travel, and this month American Airlines began offering travelers to Belize, Grenada, and St. Lucia at-home coronavirus tests from LetsGetChecked for $129, allowing travelers to potentially bypass mandatory quarantine requirements at their arrival destinations.

LetsGetChecked + Various Sports Leagues, Tours And Teams

Regular testing for Covid-19 has become an essential step for sports leagues to safely remain in play, and LetsGetChecked formed strategic partnerships with professional sports leagues to meet this need. The United Soccer League, the PGA European Tour and the Trinity Racing Cyclo-Cross team are all using LetsGetChecked as part of their safe sport protocols. Strategic partnerships such as these drive sales for LetsGetChecked and provide social media marketing opportunities from grateful athletes and fans. 

At-Home Medical Testing Companies Lean On Digital Channels And Influencers To Connect With Interested Consumers

LetsGetChecked recently launched their first ever video campaign titled “Know Your Health, Know Yourself,” that will air on several U.S. broadcast networks and streaming platforms including Apple TV, Roku and Amazon Fire through the end of the year. The campaign suggests that at-home medical testing can help us connect with each other safely during the pandemic, targeting consumers with older relatives with the tagline “let’s check on loved ones” and young people who want to safely socialize after testing with the tagline “let’s check on friends.” The brand encourages self care with the reminder: “don’t forget to check yourself.” 

LetsGetChecked is also using celebrity influencers to promote their products on social media channels, including John Legend and Jessica Chastain, who both filmed themselves using LetsGetChecked at-home COVID-19 tests before public appearances. With a corporate emphasis on sexual health, Everlywell tapped “Queer Eye” star Jonathan Van Ness to serve as the company’s first celebrity ambassador in September, partnering with him for a series of social, digital and streaming ads for Sexual Health Awareness Month. 

Staying home to stay healthy is still the best practice right now, resulting in health and wellness products becoming strong ecommerce sellers during the pandemic. LetsGetChecked and Everlywell are building on the growth of online shopping with their at-home testing kits that allow for private, safe testing and personalized health insights via digital platforms. The brands are using a wide array of digital, streaming and social media channels to connect with potential customers and forming partnerships with insurance companies, airlines, celebrities and sports leagues to market their popular products. As the pandemic continues to evolve and ecommerce continues to grow, consumers will continue to invest in their overall health, leaning on the brands that best respond to their evolving needs and desires.

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