Curative rose to prominence during the throes of the pandemic, as people and governments across the country used its Covid-19 tests. But that business is now firmly in the past, and the company has switched to an even more regulated industry: health insurance.
Last year, Curative had a cloud hanging over its head. It got into trouble with the Food and Drug Administration and states, which said the company’s tests led to too many false negatives, meaning the tests may have told patients they didn’t have the virus when they actually did. The FDA eventually revoked Curative’s emergency use authorization for the tests in July 2021, at the company’s request. A BuzzFeed News story quoted scientists who thought “the FDA was holding Curative to an unreasonably high standard.”
Curative co-founder and CEO Fred Turner eventually began thinking about what was next for the company because “Covid testing isn’t going to be a need forever.” He realized he often was spending more time at Curative figuring out how to bill and work with health insurers, so why not be a health insurer?
This article is exclusive to STAT+ subscribers
Unlock this article — and get additional analysis of the financial innards of our health care system — by subscribing to STAT+.
Already have an account? Log in
Already have an account? Log in
About the Author Reprints
To submit a correction request, please visit our Contact Us page.
STAT encourages you to share your voice. We welcome your commentary, criticism, and expertise on our subscriber-only platform, STAT+ Connect