Theranos strikes deal with Capital BlueCross, lands on East Coast
The diagnostics disruptor and an insurer of a 1.3 million are taking affordable lab tests directly to patients.
The testing company that could upend America's diagnostics market will partner with Capital BlueCross in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, to bring the company's new direct-to-consumer blood testing options to the insurer's 1.3 million members.
Palo Alto, California-based Theranos, the testing company that could upend America’s diagnostics market, will partner with Capital BlueCross in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, to bring the company’s new direct-to-consumer blood testing options to the insurer’s 1.3 million members, the company announced Wednesday.
Capital Blue, Central Pennsylvania’s largest insurer, has worked with Theranos for the past few years to explore ways to increase access to preventative and diagnostic blood tests in more rural regions.
[Also: Theranos CEO touts model]
“Our partnership with Capital BlueCross is centered on a common mission: to provide access to high-quality, affordable health care, so that people everywhere can own their health and take action to live their best lives,” said Theranos founder and CEO Elizabeth Holmes.
Holmes started Theranos in 2003, instead of finishing a microbiology degree at Stanford University, and today the company is valued at around $9 billion -- based largely on its disruptive potential. Theranos’ technology can screen for hundreds of diseases and conditions with just a finger prick’s worth of blood, and the prices are made available and pegged at no more than half of what Medicare pays.
[See Theranos test prices in the chart below]
The company’s lab technology recently received FDA clearance, and has made its tests available direct-to-consumers and through physicians via Walgreen’s clinics in Palo Alto and throughout Arizona. Aside from a research collaboration with the Cleveland Clinic, this is Theranos’ first foray outside of California and Arizona.
In Central Pennsylvania, Theranos lab tests will be available at Capital BlueCross’s own health and wellness retail stores, and through a network of Theranos Wellness Centers.
“We found Theranos to be the best lab for our members,” said Gary D. St. Hilaire, President and CEO of Capital BlueCross. “They’ve been able to implement their unmatched technology and processes to provide access to accurate, convenient, and low-cost lab testing services.
In an industry with a notorious reputation for making it hard for consumers to see costs, Theranos’ pricing transparency “reflects tremendous integrity,” St. Hilaire added.
“Our members will have easy access to best quality and most convenient testing and will know up front how much their out of pocket payments may be, including precise deductibles,” he said. “As an insurance provider, it is important for us to partner with companies who are using innovation to address and solve the toughest problems in healthcare.”
| Test | Price |
|---|---|
| Test | Price |
| Urinalysis (UA), Auto | $1.55 |
| Hematocrit (HCT) Count, Spun | $1.63 |
| Hemoglobin (HGB) | $1.63 |
| WBC, Automated (Leukocyte Count) | $1.75 |
| Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) | $1.86 |
| RBC Count, Automated | $2.07 |
| Urinalysis (UA), Complete | $2.18 |
| Urinalysis, Complete w/ Reflex to Culture & Susceptibility (+$5.55) | $2.18 |
| Occult Blood Diagnostic, Fecal (1 card) | $2.24 |
| Occult Blood Screen, Fecal (3 cards) | $2.24 |
| Protein, Total | $2.52 |
| Protein/Creatinine Ratio | $2.52 |
| Glucose | $2.70 |
| Prothrombin Time with INR | $2.70 |
| Urea Nitrogen (BUN) | $2.72 |
| Reticulocyte Count, Automated | $2.75 |
| Potassium, Urine | $2.96 |
| Cholesterol | $2.99 |
| Platelet Count, Automated | $3.08 |
| Uric Acid | $3.11 |
| Chloride | $3.16 |
| Potassium | $3.16 |
| Hemogram 2 | $3.26 |
| Phosphorus, Inorganic | $3.26 |
| Glucose Tolerance Test (GTT), Gestational Screen, 1hr, 50g | $3.27 |
| Sodium | $3.31 |
| Sodium, Urine | $3.35 |
| Carbon Dioxide | $3.36 |
| Albumin | $3.40 |
| Bilirubin, Direct | $3.45 |
| Bilirubin, Total | $3.45 |
| Chloride, Urine | $3.46 |
| Creatinine | $3.52 |
| Calcium, Total | $3.55 |
| Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP) | $3.56 |
| Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST/SGOT) | $3.56 |
| C-Reactive Protein (CRP) | $3.56 |
| Creatinine, Urine | $3.56 |
| Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT/SGPT) | $3.64 |
| Rheumatoid Factor, Total | $3.90 |
| Triglycerides | $3.95 |
| Microalbumin, Urine | $3.98 |
| ABO/RhD Blood Typing | $4.10 |
| Partial Thromboplastin Time (PTT) | $4.13 |
| Calcium, Urine | $4.15 |
| Lactate Dehydrogenase | $4.15 |
| hCG - Chorionic Gonadotropin, Urine Qualitative | $4.35 |
| CBC w/ no Differential | $4.45 |
| Iron | $4.45 |
| Thyroid Uptake | $4.45 |
| WBC Count, Automated Differential | $4.45 |
| Amylase | $4.46 |
| Creatine Kinase | $4.48 |
| Lithium | $4.55 |
| Magnesium | $4.61 |
| T4, Total - Thyroxine, Total | $4.72 |
| Lipase | $4.74 |
| Electrolytes Panel | $4.82 |
| Salicylate | $4.88 |
| Gamma-Glutamyl Transferase | $4.95 |
| Streptolysin O Antibody, Titer (ASO) | $5.02 |
| hCG - Chorionic Gonadotropin, Blood Qualitative | $5.17 |
| Cholinesterase | $5.28 |
| CBC w/ Auto Differential WBC w/ reflex to Manual Diff (+$2.37) | $5.35 |
| CBC w/ Differential | $5.35 |
| Urine Culture | $5.55 |
| Hepatic Function Panel | $5.62 |
| High-density Lipoprotein (HDL) | $5.63 |
| Basic Metabolic Panel (BMP) | $5.82 |
| Fibrinogen | $5.84 |
| Renal Function Panel | $5.97 |
| Iron Binding Capacity | $6.01 |
| Ova & Parasites | $6.12 |
| T4, Free - Thyroxine, Free | $6.20 |
| IgA, Serum | $6.39 |
| IgG, Serum | $6.39 |
| IgM, Serum | $6.39 |
| Stool Culture, Vibrio | $6.49 |
| Low-density Lipoprotein (LDL) | $6.56 |
| Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) | $6.67 |
| Troponin | $6.77 |
| D-Dimer, Quantitative | $7.00 |
| Hepatitis B Surface Antigen (HBsAg) w/ reflex to HBsAg confirmatory (+$7.10) | $7.10 |
| Hepatitis B Surface Antigen (HBsAg), Total | $7.10 |
| Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP) | $7.27 |
| Lactic Acid | $7.34 |
| Hepatitis B Surface Antibody (HBsAb), Total | $7.38 |
| Ethanol | $7.43 |
| Microalbumin/Creatinine-Urine Random | $7.53 |
| Hepatitis A Antibody, IgM | $7.74 |
| Insulin | $7.86 |
| Phenobarbital | $7.87 |
| Deamidated Gliadin Peptide (DGP) Antibody, IgA | $7.93 |
| Deamidated Gliadin Peptide (DGP) Antibody, IgG | $7.93 |
| Tissue Transglutaminase (tTG) Antibody, IgA | $7.93 |
| Tissue Transglutaminase (tTG) Antibody, IgG | $7.93 |
| Hemogram 4 | $8.08 |
| Hepatitis B Core Antibody, IgM | $8.09 |
| Complement Component 3 Antigen | $8.25 |
| Complement Component 4 Antigen | $8.25 |
| E. coli Shiga-like toxin with reflex to E. coli O157 culture (+$6.49) | $8.25 |
| Double-Stranded DNA (Crithidia luciliae) Antibody, IgG | $8.29 |
| Endomysial Antibody, IgA | $8.29 |
| Endomysial Antibody, IgG | $8.29 |
| Hepatitis B Core Antibody, Total (Anti-HB Core) | $8.29 |
| Antinuclear Antibodies, Screen (ANA) with reflex to confirmation (+$7.68) | $8.31 |
| Lead | $8.32 |
| Hepatitis A Antibody, Total | $8.52 |
| Haptoglobin, Quantitative | $8.65 |
| Transferrin | $8.78 |
| Glucose Tolerance Test (GTT), Gestational Screen, 2hr, 75g | $8.85 |
| Measles (Rubeola Antibody), IgG | $8.86 |
| Rubeola Antibody (Measles), IgG | $8.86 |
| Varicella-Zoster Antibody | $8.86 |
| Myoglobin | $8.88 |
| Anti-Mullerian Hormone | $8.90 |
| C-Reactive Protein, High Sensitivity (hsCRP) | $8.90 |
| Cyclic Citrullinated Peptide (CCP) Antibody, IgG | $8.90 |
| Mumps Antibody, IgG | $8.97 |
| Epstein-Barr Antibody to Early D Antigen (EA-D) IgG | $9.02 |
| Herpes Simplex Type 1 (HSV-1), IgG | $9.07 |
| Syphilis Screen (Treponema Pallidum Antibody) with reflex to RPR (+$2.94) with reflex to TP-PA (+$9.10) | $9.10 |
| Phenytoin, Total | $9.11 |
| Digoxin | $9.13 |
| Borrelia Antibody | $9.20 |
| Lipid Panel | $9.21 |
| Alpha-1-Antitrypsin, Total | $9.24 |
| Valproic Acid | $9.32 |
| Vancomycin | $9.32 |
| Cystatin C | $9.35 |
| Ferritin | $9.37 |
| DNA Antibody | $9.44 |
| Theophylline | $9.73 |
| T3, Total - Triiodothyronine, Total | $9.75 |
| Hepatitis C Antibody | $9.81 |
| Hepatitis C Antibody w/reflex to Hepatitis C, RNA, Quantitative (+$29.44) | $9.81 |
| Hepatitis C Virus Antibody w/ reflex to HCV RNA (+$29.44) w/ reflex to HCV Genotyping (+$117.96) | $9.81 |
| Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Antibody, IgG | $9.90 |
| Rubella Antibody, IgM | $9.90 |
| Toxoplasma, IgG | $9.90 |
| Toxoplasma, IgM | $9.90 |
| Helicobacter Pylori, IgG, Serum | $9.98 |
| Amphetamines | $10.00 |
| Barbiturates | $10.00 |
| Benzodiazepines, Blood | $10.00 |
| Benzodiazepines, Urine | $10.00 |
| Cocaine | $10.00 |
| Dolophine (Methadone) | $10.00 |
| Ecstasy (MDMA) | $10.00 |
| Marijuana (THC) | $10.00 |
| Methadone Metabolite | $10.00 |
| Opiates | $10.00 |
| Phencyclidine (PCP) | $10.00 |
| Propoxyphene | $10.00 |
| Thyroid Peroxidase Antibody (TPO) | $10.00 |
| Tricyclic Antidepressants, Blood | $10.00 |
| Tricyclic Antidepressants, Urine | $10.00 |
| Carbamazepine, Total | $10.01 |
| Ammonia | $10.02 |
| Prealbumin | $10.03 |
| Folate | $10.11 |
| Thyroxine Binding Globulin | $10.17 |
| Rubella Antibody, IgG | $10.31 |
| hCG - Chorionic Gonadotropin, Pregnancy Screen, Blood Quantitative | $10.35 |
| Alpha-1-Acid Glycoprotein | $10.36 |
| Vitamin B-12 | $10.36 |
| Epstein-Barr (EBV) Nuclear Antibody, IgG | $10.52 |
| T3 reverse | $10.84 |
| Thyroglobulin Antibodies | $10.93 |
| Thyroglobulin | $11.04 |
| Tobramycin | $11.08 |
| Beta-2 Microglobulin | $11.12 |
| Cortisol, Total | $11.21 |
| Gentamicin | $11.27 |
| IgE | $11.32 |
| Growth Hormone (HGH) | $11.47 |
| Alpha-Fetoprotein (AFP), Serum (Maternal) | $11.53 |
| Alpha-Fetoprotein (AFP), Serum (Oncology) | $11.53 |
| Glucose Tolerance Test (GTT), Gestational Screen, 3hr, 100g | $11.54 |
| Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) | $11.55 |
| Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) w/ Reflex to Thyroxine, Free (Free T4) (+$6.20) | $11.55 |
| Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Antibody, IgM | $11.58 |
| Homocysteine | $11.60 |
| T3, Free - Triiodothyronine, Free | $11.65 |
| Chlamydia Trachomatis, DNA, Qualitative | $12.06 |
| Gonorrhea, DNA, Qualitative | $12.06 |
| Gastrin | $12.12 |
| Nuclear Antigen Antibody, Jo-1 | $12.33 |
| Nuclear Antigen Antibody, RNP | $12.33 |
| Nuclear Antigen Antibody, Scl-70 | $12.33 |
| Nuclear Antigen Antibody, Sm | $12.33 |
| Nuclear Antigen Antibody, SSA | $12.33 |
| Nuclear Antigen Antibody, SSB | $12.33 |
| Cyclosporine, A | $12.41 |
| Epstein-Barr (EBV) Viral Capsid Antigen (VCA) - IgG | $12.47 |
| Epstein-Barr (EBV) Viral Capsid Antigen (VCA) - IgM | $12.47 |
| PSA, Free | $12.65 |
| PSA, Total | $12.65 |
| Luteinizing Hormone | $12.73 |
| Follicle Stimulating Hormone | $12.77 |
| Collagen Crosslinks | $12.85 |
| Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA) | $13.04 |
| Herpes Simplex Type 2 (HSV-2), IgG | $13.30 |
| Prolactin | $13.32 |
| Acetaminophen | $13.91 |
| Cancer Antigen - GI (CA 19-9) | $14.31 |
| Cancer Antigen 125 (CA-125) | $14.31 |
| Cancer Antigen 15-3 (CA 15-3) | $14.31 |
| Cancer Antigen 27.29 (CA 27.29) | $14.31 |
| C-Peptide | $14.31 |
| Progesterone | $14.34 |
| Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1) | $14.61 |
| Sex Hormone-binding Globulin (SHBG) | $14.94 |
| Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate (DHEA-S) | $15.28 |
| HIV screen - HIV-1/HIV-2 Antigen/Antibody Combo with reflex to HIV-1/HIV-2 antibody differentiation (+$15.40) | $16.56 |
| HIV-1/HIV-2 Antigen/Antibody Combo | $16.56 |
| HIV-1/HIV-2 Antigen/Antibody Combo with reflex to HIV-1/2 Antibody Differentiation ($15.40) with reflex to HIV-1 RNA, Quant (+$58.48) | $16.56 |
| Estriol, unconjugated | $16.63 |
| Estrone | $17.16 |
| Cardiolipin Antibody (ACA), IgG | $17.49 |
| Testosterone, Free | $17.50 |
| Testosterone, Total | $17.75 |
| Calcitonin | $18.41 |
| Estradiol | $19.21 |
| Stool Culture | $19.46 |
| Stool Culture with reflex to E. coli Shiga Toxin (+$8.25) | $19.46 |
| Androstenedione | $20.12 |
| Vitamin D 25-OH | $20.35 |
| Apolipoprotein (A1, B) | $21.30 |
| Brain Natriuretic Peptide (BNP) | $23.33 |
| Chlamydia / Gonorrhea Panel, DNA, Qualitative | $24.12 |
| Chlamydia/Gonorrhea, DNA Qualitative, Swab Collection | $24.12 |
| Antibody Detection | $25.75 |
| ACTH (Adrenocorticotropic Hormone) | $26.55 |
| Parathyroid Hormone (PTH) | $28.36 |
| Adenovirus DNA, Quantitative | $29.44 |
| Hepatitis B, DNA, Quantitative | $29.44 |
| Hepatitis C Virus RNA w/ reflex to Hepatitis C Virus Genotyping (+$117.96) | $29.44 |
| Hepatitis C, RNA, Quantitative | $29.44 |
| Obstetric Panel | $30.07 |
| Celiac Panel | $31.72 |
| Hepatitis, Acute w/reflex to Hep C, RNA, Quantitative (+$29.44) | $31.89 |
| Hepatitis, Acute | $32.74 |
| Reproductive Monitoring Panel | $34.95 |
| Epstein-Barr (EBV) Antibody Panel | $35.46 |
| Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, and HIV with reflex to confirmation (+$15.40) | $40.68 |
| Tuberculosis; QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube | $42.60 |
| HER2/neu Quantitative, Serum | $44.27 |
| Obstetric Panel w/ HIV-1/HIV-2 Antigen/Antibody Combo | $46.63 |
| Thyroid Panel | $49.95 |
| Drug Screen Panel | $49.98 |
| HIV-1, RNA, Quantitative | $58.48 |
| Reproductive Health Panel | $59.95 |
| STI Comprehensive Panel | $59.95 |
| Extractable Nuclear Antigen Antibodies (RNP, Smith, SSA, SSB, SCL-70, JO-1) | $73.95 |
| Hepatitis C Virus Genotype | $117.96 |
Twitter: @AnthonyBrino
