WHY DID I GET THE COLOGUARD® TEST?

The package on the porch: Who sent this Cologuard test?

If you received a Cologuard test you didn't request, you’re not alone. Learn why it arrived, who sent it, why it’s not a scam, and what to do next.
Exact Sciences | April 2026
A Cologuard box sitting on a front doorstep.

As it does for people across the country, it can arrive unexpectedly. A simple white box, sitting neatly on your doorstep placed with practiced positioning of the UPS® driver you know a little too well. But who sent it? And what are you supposed to do with it?

You carry the mysterious box inside and place it on the kitchen counter. Trying to distract yourself, you flip through a stack of mail you should have opened weeks ago, but your eyes keep darting back to the box and the blue Cologuard logo on its side. You wonder if it’s some sort of prank. Is Cologuard a scam? Is Cologuard legit?


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Then, buried between coupons and pre-approved offers, you spot it, a letter about the Cologuard test coming at no cost. Well, that came quickly. “Exact Sciences Laboratories,” you say the name, like you’ve heard it before, probably from that commercial with the animated box that somehow makes the whole thing seem less daunting.

Now you know who sent it, but you still don’t know what to do with it.

A woman stands in her bathroom holding a Cologuard box.

You open your computer and type the words “Why did I get a Cologuard test in the mail?” gently, as if the question itself would offend your keyboard.

Your first click takes you to the Cologuard website: the picture—two people, holding simple white boxes on their doorstep. This seems legit.

As you scroll, the clues begin to materialize: A doctor or licensed health care provider placed a Cologuard order for you, often through partnerships between Exact Sciences and health insurance companies or health systems.

Someone—your doctor, your insurer, or your health system—sent this test on purpose. Not a scam. Not an accident. A nudge toward your health. You look over at the white box on your counter again.

Not such a mystery after all. You open another search bar “How to complete your Cologuard kit”, not nearly as daunting as you expected.

With clarity settling in, inspired to take charge of your health, you pick up the box and carry it with you.

The box has traveled from porch to kitchen to your hands. And now, finally, you set it on the bathroom counter. When you’re ready, you can follow the step-by-step instructions or contact our Customer Care team with any questions.

Safe.
Noninvasive.
FDA-approved.