TestWell launches public blood test price index

TestWell released a free, machine-readable index comparing all-in blood test costs across 12 providers and 171 tests, including checkout fees and verification dates. The launch arrives as Congress considers broader price transparency rules for clinical labs.

Why it matters: - Patients shopping for blood work often see a posted price first and extra fees later. - TestWell’s index tries to show the full checkout price up front across competing providers. - The dataset is free, reusable and built to be machine-readable, which could make price comparisons easier for consumers, researchers and AI tools.

What happened: - TestWell, a cash-pay lab testing company, launched the TestWell Blood Test Price Index. - The public dataset compares all-in prices for 171 blood tests across 12 providers, including Quest, Labcorp OnDemand and Everlywell. - The index is live at the blood test price index.

The details: - The index uses all-in pricing, not sticker prices. - Each price includes the posted test price plus every per-order fee added at checkout. - TestWell says its median all-in price is $42.99. - TestWell says 29 of its tests cost less than $30. - TestWell charges a flat $6 lab processing fee per order. - The full dataset is available as JSON and CSV. - The dataset updates automatically when prices change. - AI assistants can query the data through a Compare Prices tool. - Each competitor price and fee includes the date it was read from the provider’s public ordering page. - Competitor prices are rechecked at least monthly. - Competitor prices appear only where the test is equivalent, using the same analyte and methodology class. - The data is licensed CC BY 4.0 and can be reused with attribution. - Methodology, provider fee schedules and verification dates are published with the dataset. - Version 2026.09 was last updated Sept. 21, 2026.

Between the lines: - The launch directly targets a common pain point in healthcare shopping: hidden fees that change the real price at checkout. - TestWell is also positioning the index as a transparency benchmark for other labs, not just a marketing tool for its own services. - The timing matters because federal lawmakers are advancing bills that would expand price-posting requirements for clinical laboratories. - In July, the House Energy and Commerce Committee voted 45-0 to advance the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act of 2026. - The Senate HELP Committee voted 21-1 to advance the Patients Deserve Price Tags Act.

What's next: - The index will keep updating as provider prices change. - TestWell says competitor prices will continue to be rechecked at least monthly. - Broader transparency rules could give the effort more relevance if Congress passes legislation covering clinical laboratories. - TestWell also says the same pricing data can be reused by outside users under CC BY 4.0.

The bottom line: - TestWell is betting that full-price transparency, not sticker-price marketing, will become the standard for cash-pay lab testing.