Cheaper Blood work?

[Susan]

Someone on another forum tried to claim they can get the blood work I had done for half the $300  I spent if this is true please tell me where. Most of the places were 100-200$ more, often for less tests. Personally I think they were full of it.

The doctor requested the Lipid Panel, and much that was included with the hormone check panel. I added the Sex hormone Binding Globulin myself.

I had Lipid Panel; Testosterone, Serum; FSH and LH; Thyroxine (T4) Free, Direct, S; Progesterone; Estrogens, Total; Sex Horm Binding Glob, Serum.

Hormone Check Blood Test Panel - $235
Sex Hormone Binding Gobulin was $49
Lipid Panel was $29

Total blood test was $313.00

I ended up paying $281.00 as they gave me an additional discount.

I used Walkin Labs which goes through LabCorp.

The first time the doctor did my blood tests I paid $736.00 simply because I didn't know any better, so decided to get it done myself this time.

[Devlyn]

Blood test?...<passes out on floor>

[jujubes1986]

wow thats expensive... i guess im pretty lucky to have healthcare... i dont need to pay for blood work... and i gett his done every 6 months

[becky.rw]

They may have confused what you got with what a less detailed hormone panel and basic metabolic would cost (about $100, total E, total T, and met)

Think of it like the lipid test, you can get a big three for $30, or a bit more detailed for $100, or an NMR/Lp(a) navel gazing exercise for $200, just depends on what you want to know.    eg, my big three is flawless, but put it under an NMR's detail and its really liquid death.    Thus the statin, and the cardio exercise, despite having perfect LDL/HDL/Total.

[Hannah.Emma]

Oh wow, I never realized that labs were so expensive. This only reinforces why I love the VA

[Dena]

I pulled out the bill and here is the story. At the time I had Blue Cross which has no provisions for gender care and has a $3,500 deductible which I am nowhere near reaching so insurance paid nothing toward the bill. In addition there was no other coverage like Medicare or AHCCS whatever that is. However the insurance company as an agreed rate it pays the lab for serves and I pay the same rate the insurance company would pay. As costly  as insurance is, it still saves you money even if they don't pay out a cent. I don't know if it's possible to get a better rate with the lab by paying cash or some other arrangement but there is clearly a difference between what the lab work cost and what you pay without insurance.

                               Charge      Insurance      Patient Owes
                                           Disallowed
comprehen Metabolic Panel      $31.76       $23.42          $8.34
Lipid Panel                    $69.93       $59.36         $10.57
Assay of estradiol            $185.74      $163.68         $22.06
Assay of estrogen             $167.84      $150.70         $17.14
Assay of Prolactin            $137.60      $122.29         $15.31
Complete CBC w/auto diff WBC   $27.51       $22.45          $5.06
                              $620.38      $541.90         $78.48

[Emily R]

Hi

Google PrivateMDLabs, I have used them to prescribe my own lab work for myself and for my endocrinologist, they use Labcorp to perform all of the blood work and then you go to their (PrivateMDLabs) website and can retrieve after a couple of days all of the results of your tests.

They have the prices of the tests online at the time you are placing your order in a shopping cart.

I have used them and I trust them, but compare the prices before you do.

PM if you want any additional info, and I am NOT associated with them in any way.

Emily

[Randi]

I agree.  Private MD Labs is the way to go.  There is probably a facility near you to get your blood drawn and the actually analysis is done by LabCorp.  http://www.privatemdlabs.com/   

Randi

Hi

Google PrivateMDLabs, I have used them to prescribe my own lab work for myself and for my endocrinologist, they use Labcorp to perform all of the blood work and then you go to their (PrivateMDLabs) website and can retrieve after a couple of days all of the results of your tests.

They have the prices of the tests online at the time you are placing your order in a shopping cart.

I have used them and I trust them, but compare the prices before you do.

PM if you want any additional info, and I am NOT associated with them in any way.

Emily

[melissa_h]

Check with local caregivers/small clinics too.  At Howard Brown in chicago, it was insanely less expensive.  I didn't keep all the details, but I think there were extra panels on my first visit ... I know on my second visit the testing for E and T was around $10, no insurance.

Since then, I've done tests remotely, so far, insurance has been good about covering them, but my numbers are similar to what's above.  List price near $600, insurance price around $300, which drops to a $35 copay.  Just hoping insurance doesn't start asking questions about the frequency of panels.

[Janes Groove]

There are lots of 3rd party middlemen sites on the internet that sell just about any blood test you want. By shopping for the best price for each individual test and comparing between vendors you can save the most money.  And I've found they all pretty much send you to Lab Corp.

[Susan]

The only test that the doctor didn't specifically request or test me for previously on the hormone check panel was the Thyroxine (T4) Free, Direct, S. That shows your thyroid function and so isn't a bad test to include. If you have thyroid problem you need to know about it.

T4,Free(Direct)                   1.01 ng/dL                   

Baseline: 
                                        0.82 - 1.77

I would not have saved money by buying the tests individually to get rid of it, so I think I found the best deal.

I did add the Sex Hormone Binding Globulin test myself, and yes the doctor didn't request it; but since I am on estradiol valerate,  it is a concern. It didn't add a lot to the total cost, and the information it provides is well worth it.

SHBG is a protein that binds tightly to the hormones testosterone, dihydrotestosterone (DHT), and estradiol (an estrogen). In this bound state, SHBG transports these hormones in the blood as biologically inactive forms. Changes in SHBG levels can affect the amount of hormone that is available to be used by the body's tissues.

My SHBG was high.

Sex Horm Binding Glob, Serum     163.9 nmol/L High

Baseline: 
                                              24.6 - 122.0

Other tests...

Estrogens, Total                    532 pg/mL

Baseline: 
                                                Prepubertal           <40
                                                Female Cycle:
                                                  1-10 Days      61 - 394
                                                 11-20 Days     122 - 437
                                                 21-30 Days     156 - 350
                                                 Post-Menopausal      <40
                                              HMG Treatment for Ovulation
                                                 Induction:     400 - 800

Testosterone, Serum                19 ng/dL     

Baseline:  8 - 48

Progesterone                         0.5 ng/mL

Baseline: 
                                           Follicular phase     0.1 -   0.9
                                           Luteal phase         1.8 -  23.9
                                           Ovulation phase      0.1 -  12.0
                                          Pregnant
                                           First trimester     11.0 -  44.3
                                           Second trimester    25.4 -  83.3
                                           Third trimester     58.7 - 214.0
                                          Postmenopausal        0.0 -   0.1

LH                               <0.2 mIU/mL

Baseline: 
                                        Follicular phase        2.4 -  12.6
                                        Ovulation phase        14.0 -  95.6
                                        Luteal phase            1.0 -  11.4
                                        Postmenopausal          7.7 -  58.5

FSH                               0.2 mIU/mL

Baseline: 
                                        Follicular phase        3.5 -  12.5
                                        Ovulation phase         4.7 -  21.5
                                        Luteal phase            1.7 -   7.7
                                        Postmenopausal         25.8 - 134.8

Please note: The values in this post are my specific measurements, and a baseline for normal hormone levels, based on the average measurements for women my age and are not dosages of any kind; and so posting them does not violate the rules of the site.  Also do not use my baselines as a guide for your normal hormone levels unless you are 45 years old.