money COVID-19 test maker Cue Health adds virtual care, drug delivery
At-home COVID-19 test maker Cue Health (HLTH) is adding virtual appointments, treatment orders, and delivery services through its app, the company announced Monday.
The idea, according to Cue co-founder and chief product officer Clint Sever, is to provide same-day service to patients seeking access to treatments after testing positive, whether from a Cue test or other external test.
"It's a pretty complicated process to present a test result to the doctor and then go get the medication," Sever told Yahoo Finance. "Cue Care unifies...that entire workflow."
Patients can use the Cue Care service on the app by simply uploading their results, consulting with a health professional, and getting a prescription filled. They can then choose to pick their prescription up at a participating pharmacy or get it delivered. Sever didn't reveal which delivery partners Cue is working with, but he noted that the availability of treatments at participating pharmacies would dictate where a patient can fill the order.
With treatments like Pfizer's (PFE) Paxlovid now more widely available, the company will be able to provide same-day prescriptions and delivery.
The new service is not covered by insurance and costs $79, Sever told Yahoo Finance, noting that the price point was aimed at making the service broadly accessible.
Cue is currently a single-product company, though it is planning to launch several other at-home testing options in the future, building on the success of its COVID-19 test.
The at-home molecular diagnostic test, which costs $250, plus a bundle of disposable test cartridges that cost another $200 have boosted revenue for the company. A majority of its second quarter income was based on the test alone, even though total sales were down from the same period in 2021 as cheaper antigen tests have become more widely available.
Cue plans to build on its proof of concept with other at-home tests for illnesses like the flu and incorporate them into the Care app. The strategy is premised on the idea of making health care more accessible.
"We're going to be expanding this as we expand the test menu on our platform," Sever said. "So you can get treatment for flu, for strep throat, for sexually transmitted infections. So today's a big step for us."
Sever added that the prices are likely to come down as the company incorporates insurance into its system.
"We want to build the best, most accessible infrastructure for getting care, and in parallel to that, we're working hard to bring the cost down so that more and more people can get access and utilize their insurance and the HSA's to access the care," Sever said.
Follow Anjalee on Twitter @AnjKhem
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