Quest Diagnostics Expands Access and Affordability of Diagnostic Services in 2023 With Enhanced Financial Assistance and Innovative Testing Solutions

Originally published in Quest Diagnostics' 2023 Corporate Responsibility Report

We continued to grow access to and affordability of our leading diagnostic services over the past year. In 2023, we expanded utilization of our financial assistance program, widened availability of our services through new collaborations, and deepened our work with Q4HE.

BROADENING AND SIMPLIFYING USE OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

Quest has long offered a Patient Financial Assistance program (PFA) for individuals who cannot readily afford diagnostic services. To make accessing this support as easy as possible, we updated the enrollment process in 2023. Once approved and enrolled, patients remain in the program for a full year without submitting any additional documentation.

We also capped the maximum amount enrolled patients will pay for testing. Patients earning less than the federal poverty level will continue to not pay for testing, whereas individuals earning up to 2 times the poverty level will pay no more than $100 per bill. This new cap provides maximum price certainty for lower-income patients, regardless of testing performed. We expanded a supplemental PFA program for high-cost testing, primarily in genetics and oncology. Individuals earning less than 2 to 4 times the federal poverty level can access this program for support in covering the costs of these tests.

In addition to PFA, we tailor solutions for uninsured or underinsured patients based on individual circumstances and may adjust some or all laboratory charges for patients who cannot afford to pay for testing. We also work with Federally Qualified Health Centers, federally funded nonprofit health clinics that serve medically underserved areas and populations, to provide testing and operational support. In 2023, we saw an increase of over 25% in patients accessing these services, including PFA.

SCALING ACCESS TO CARE

Quest works with nonprofits, government agencies, companies, and healthcare providers to reach new populations, refine testing capabilities, and address healthcare gaps. Our industry and cross sector collaborations play a key role in our efforts to scale diagnostic insights and improve population health.

2023 initiatives

CDC and Quest entered a multi-year engagement to provide laboratory testing and data analytics services to support hepatitis C public health strategy and treatment.

Sarepta Therapeutics and Quest developed and were granted Breakthrough Device Designation from the US Food and Drug Administration for a test to help identify patients eligible for treatment for certain individuals with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

National Kidney Foundation-American Society of Nephrology and Quest built upon their work to transition to race-free eGFR equation testing with the launch of our Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) Value-Based Care Program to help bridge gaps in CKD management.

Ohio Association of Community Health Centers and Quest are working together to help identify risk factors for women’s cardiometabolic health associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Through the Quest Cardiometabolic Center of Excellence, we worked to improve how healthcare providers assess and treat cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in women. CVD remains the leading cause of death in women—taking the lives of over 310,000 in the US in 2021.* We launched a Women and CVD Risk Assessment campaign in 2023 to help healthcare providers focus on early identification of cardiovascular risk factors for women.

Our Health Trends® reports continue to provide insights into critical healthcare issues. Explore our 2023 publications.

Empowering patients with direct-to-consumer and in-home testing

Quest’s consumer-initiated testing offers convenience for patients who may not want to wait or pay for a doctor’s appointment or have chronic conditions that require ongoing monitoring. In 2023, we increased to approximately 33 million registered users, and we added 45 new test options on questhealth.com, nearly doubling what was previously available. New additions included a tuberculosis blood test and menopause panels.

Patients can also access testing from the comfort of their own homes with Quest Mobile. In 2023, more than 7,000 patients took advantage of this service. Through these offerings, we’re empowering Quest patients to access the care that best fits their needs and lifestyles.

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* https://www.cdc.gov/healthequity/features/heartdisease/index.html