Julia Cheek, Everlywell, Making Lab Testing Accessible For Your Good Health

Practical, nicely priced and easy to use will never surpass practically perfect, incredibly bright and absolutely beautiful.

The latter describes the CEO and Founder of EverlyWell, Ms. Julia Cheek.

The innovative company EverlyWell wants to make lab testing accessible to anybody who wants to know more about their own body and health.

EverlyWell is poised to completely change the healthcare industry as we know it, and judging by the $1 million line of credit Julia received from Shark Tank Investor Lori Greiner, corporate America is now keenly aware of it, too.

Sounds like a fantastic idea and the word is spreading.

femcompetitor.com fciwomenswrestling.com article, everlywell.com photo credit

In Julia’s pitch to Shark Tank she explained, “Fundamentally our product is direct to consumer,” she said. “Although we have physicians involved in the process, consumers are the ones who make the decision to purchase and we just felt like there was such an education opportunity being able to be on a program like Shark Tank, just in communicating to the American public that this is even a choice for their testing. Because there’s such low awareness that this process exists, that you can order it online, it’s still physician approved, et cetera.”

On November 27, 2017, as announced at mobihealthnews.com, “Online mail-order lab testing startup EverlyWell showed off its wares on ABC’s Shark Tank last night, securing a $1 million line of credit from host Lori Greiner. CEO and founder Julia Cheek appeared on the long-running reality TV show, in which entrepreneurs pitch a panel of high-profile investors.

femcompetitor.com fciwomenswrestling.com article, everlywell.com photo credit via Shark Tank

The company allows consumers to order a range of lab tests from its website. EverlyWell sends customers a collection kit for blood, urine, or saliva. Customers send back the sample, and Everlywell delivers results online in a format that can be understood by a layperson, and as a report they can share with a physician. A big part of the pitch is that it lets customers get their lab test for a reliable, upfront cost, rather than getting an unexpected bill from a lab after insurance didn’t pay for a test.”

Most states require that before a consumer gets a lab test for things as simple as reading their cholesterol or lipid levels, they must attain physician authorization.

EverlyWell complies with those rules everywhere it operates.

Seems practical and efficient enough.

It is a fantastic service so how did Julia come up with this well-needed idea?

In an interview with the informative group wellandgood.com she explains, “I’ve always wanted to start a company, but didn’t have an idea that I was passionate about spending the next several years building. Last summer, I had a really bad experience with diagnostic testing.

I had unexplainable symptoms and went to several different specialists who ran every test imaginable. At the end of the day, I had a 25-page print-out filled with confusing black-and-white numbers, no follow-up from my doctors, and I spent a night googling these markers and what they meant. Not to mention I was on a high-deductible insurance plan, so none of this was covered by insurance—and the tests were about $2,000 total! I thought there had to be a better way.”

The early origins of her incredible entrepreneurial journey began when Julia turned 31, was working around the clock, had a great corporate job, but continually didn’t feel well.

She tried traditional methods but that didn’t work.

So many great products have been invented after a person has experienced something unfortunate. They turn lemons into lemonade.

So how is her company different from other home testing companies?

Julia’s mission was to empower consumers to have access to, manage, and improve data about their health.

“To keep the body in good health is a duty… otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear.”… Buddha

Her company has transformed the testing experience to be focused on the individual.

They do that in three ways: easy online ordering for test kits, at-home collection, and completely redesigned lab results that are easy to understand.

Individual health ownership is a growth business for good reason.

As reported at cnbc.com, “Health insurance premiums will increase by 5 percent in 2017 for employees, according to a recent study from the National Business Group on Health, a Washington, D.C.-based organization that represents large employers.”

Based upon those rising costs, understandably people are wanting to do more and more for themselves to cut costs.

Special pharmacy costs, high-cost claimants and overall medical inflation are among the leading causes for rising health insurance premiums.

More than half of the employers surveyed said that offering high-deductible plans as an option or fully replacing their coverage with a high-deductible plan was one of their most effective cost-control measures.

Self Service testing appears to be not only smart but financially practical.

The informative site darkdaily.com adds, “A BCC Research report suggests the global health self-monitoring technology market reached nearly $3.2 billion in 2014 and is expected to grow to nearly $19 billion by 2019.”

One of the more important tests are to detect STDs.

Julia stated the company’s STD test is 10 percent of its business, and the addition of that test took their user base from 85 percent female down to 75 percent female.

In her conversation with the popular popsugar.com Julia speaks to this as well. “We currently have two STD panels — it’s a seven-test comprehensive panel — one male, one female. What’s really great about that product is that it’s $189, but that includes, at no extra cost, a telemedicine physician consult and a prescription if your test comes back abnormal and if relevant for your particular infection. That’s a big cost saving for many people, and it’s totally private and anonymous. We launched that product in February and it’s quickly grown to be one of our top three bestsellers.”

One of the powerful benefits of private industry is the ability to adapt to the needs of the consumer and create practical and cost effective products to meet the needs of sometimes financially desperate consumers.

You can still change the world with a great idea.