How we score programs
The five criteria, their weights, and what each score means.
By Julian Caraulani · Last updated
Every program gets a score out of 10, computed from five criteria. The weights are fixed and published here, and the same for every program.
| Criterion | Weight | What earns a high score |
|---|---|---|
| Price | 30% | A low all-in yearly price for a real treatment plan, labs and fees included |
| Transparency | 25% | Prices published before you sign up, with what's included spelled out |
| Care | 20% | A licensed clinician, lab monitoring, follow-ups and a way to reach the care team |
| Access | 15% | Prescribes in many states, offers more than one treatment, reasonable cancellation |
| Reputation | 10% | Patient reviews on independent platforms and a clean regulatory record |
The exact rules
- Price: cost per measured biomarker on the provider's best plan with 20 or more measured markers (published yearly price divided by markers measured, calculated values excluded): $3 or less scores 10, up to $4 scores 9, up to $5 scores 8, up to $6.50 scores 7, up to $8 scores 6, up to $12 scores 5, above that 4. A lab-test store also scores on the total for our 11-test core panel (up to $400 scores 9, up to $550 scores 8, up to $700 scores 7, above 6), and keeps the better of the two. No all-in price or no published list to count scores 3.
- Transparency: starts at 4. Plus 3 if it publishes its marker list, plus 2 if every required fee in the price is published, plus 1 if cancellation or refund terms are stated.
- Care: starts at 3. Plus 3 if a clinician reviews results, plus 1 if no outside doctor's order is needed, plus 1 if it names the lab, plus 1 if it states CLIA certification or CAP accreditation, plus 1 if its privacy policy says it does not sell health data or use it for advertising without consent.
- Access: starts at 4. Plus 3 if its own pages say it sells in 45 or more states (1.5 otherwise, or with no state statement), plus 1 if HSA or FSA payment is stated, plus 1 if New York and New Jersey get the same price, plus 1 if an at-home collection option exists.
- Reputation: the Trustpilot score doubled when there are 100 or more reviews, otherwise 5. Minus 2 for an FDA warning letter on record (whatever product it concerns; each review says which), minus 1 for a state regulator action or a privacy class action settlement in the last three years.
Where the numbers come from
Prices come from each program's own website. Every price on this site shows the page we read it on and the date we checked. When a program doesn't publish a price, we say so instead of estimating.
What the score is not
The score is not affected by whether a program pays us, or how much. Placement on a page can differ from the score order in one case: when two programs are within 0.1, we may show the one with clearer pricing first.
Badges
A few cards carry a badge such as "Lowest price". Badges are worked out from the price table, not chosen by us: each goes to the cheapest program that meets its rule, and moves on its own when prices change.
- Lowest price: the cheapest all-in yearly plan we track.
- Lowest price, FDA-approved: the cheapest plan with FDA-approved medication included in the price.
- Lowest price with labs: the cheapest plan with both medication and lab testing included in the price.
A program holds at most one badge. If the winner of a rule already has one, that badge is not shown at all rather than passed to the runner-up.
Corrections
If a price or fact is wrong, email hello@bloodtestwatchdog.com with the source and we will re-check it.
For how the whole site works, including how it makes money and what it doesn't check, see Is Blood Test Watchdog legit?.