What's Best The Price for "Basic Blood Work"?

[burnoutat42]

Hey Guys

What's the best price for (IE) Test Levels, Estrodial Levels, Red Blood Cell Count, etc? My friend wants to get some blood work done however doesn't want to pay over $150.00.....any ideas?

 

[Vince Carter]

discountedlabs.com

Where have you looked?

 

[fifty]

lifeextension has good prices as well

 

[Vince]

I would just go through my GP. Have your buddy check with his insurance. If he's having issues, most test should be covered.

 

[Cataceous]

If he's not in a hurry then have him wait for Life Extension's spring sale. Typically the best prices around.

 

[burnoutat42]

I would just go through my GP. Have your buddy check with his insurance. If he's having issues, most test should be covered.

I initially went the route you advised before ultimately going with a company who specializes in hormone replacement therapy. Insurance didn't want to cover anything and I additionally received a bill from Labcorp. I spent the good portion of a full day trying to get my insurance carrier to pay for the blood work my primary care doctor initially ordered.

 

[Vince]

I initially went the route you advised before ultimately going with a company who specializes in hormone replacement therapy. Insurance didn't want to cover anything and I additionally received a bill from Labcorp. I spent the good portion of a full day trying to get my insurance carrier to pay for the blood work my primary care doctor initially ordered.

You may not want the hassle, I did file appeal with my insurance company, to get a bill paid. It did take a long time but they did eventually pay.

 

[DragonBits]

I initially went the route you advised before ultimately going with a company who specializes in hormone replacement therapy. Insurance didn't want to cover anything and I additionally received a bill from Labcorp. I spent the good portion of a full day trying to get my insurance carrier to pay for the blood work my primary care doctor initially ordered.

If you want insurance to cover it, then you have to learn about Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes.

A doctor can order a test and insurance will pay for it or not pay for it depending on the diagnostic code the doctor uses to describe his reason for ordering the test. A lot of doctors don't really understand how to work the system.

I use medicare, there a form you sign when they draw blood that says whether or not I refuse any test that medicare will not pay for. I always say I refuse to pay for any test medicare will not pay for.

The reason is simply, I can order a test myself and pay $30, the same test ordered by a doctor and refused by medicare to pay can cost $180 for the same exact test.

 

[Nelson Vergel]

The most basic before getting on TRT (not including PSA):
Post PCT Panel

 

[burnoutat42]

If you want insurance to cover it, then you have to learn about Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes.

A doctor can order a test and insurance will pay for it or not pay for it depending on the diagnostic code the doctor uses to describe his reason for ordering the test. A lot of doctors don't really understand how to work the system.

I use medicare, there a form you sign when they draw blood that says whether or not I refuse any test that medicare will not pay for. I always say I refuse to pay for any test medicare will not pay for.

The reason is simply, I can order a test myself and pay $30, the same test ordered by a doctor and refused by medicare to pay can cost $180 for the same exact test.

Even after submitting all of the "Proper Codes", my insurance carrier still elected to not pick up the tab? Can you please tell me both "Where" and "What Test Specifically" you order for only $30.00 as it would be greatly appreciated!

 

[DragonBits]

Even after submitting all of the "Proper Codes", my insurance carrier still elected to not pick up the tab? Can you please tell me both "Where" and "What Test Specifically" you order for only $30.00 as it would be greatly appreciated!

If insurance didn't pay, then it's a de facto proof that the right codes needed to get it paid were NOT submitted. Insurance pays occurring to very rigid rules. Of course, you need to find out what those rules are for each insurance plan.

Medicare at least, won't tell you what codes need to be submitted to get them to pay. However, I went to one labcorp office so often the phlebotomist there told me confidently what codes the doctor could use to get it paid for using medicare.

You say "proper codes" but give me the actual codes that were submitted??

There are like 2-8 different codes that can be used to justify the same sort of test. Pick the wrong justification, insurance won't pay.

Of instance, for medicare, if a doctor orders a lipid profile and uses a code that calls it a routine test, medicare won't pay and the lab charged me 87.60. IF however the doctor codes was necessary because of possible cardiovascular problems, they will pay for the same test. THe same lab charged me 159.30 for a vitamin D test.

So I can get a lipid test for $20 and vit D for $25.

The local senior center has the following charges. There are local senior centers / wellness clinics in many locations.

Additional Services

• Hemoglobin A1C - $20
• Tdap (Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis) - $45
• Total Cholesterol/Glucose - $5 (non-fasting, fingerstick)
• Complete Cholesterol - $20 (fasting, includes total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, triglycerides, and glucose)
• Vitamin D - $25
• Hepatitis C Screening - $20 (self-pay only - Medicare/Medicaid recipients not eligible)
• Low cost lab services are available for individuals with no health insurance or private health insurance (must have a doctor's order)*+

I spent 10 years with no insurance at all, then had maybe 5 different insurance plans in 3 years, so I know most of the cheapest ways to get tests done and some info about how those different insurance plans operated.

Some places like clinics you have to say you have no insurance. They don't check, it's just a federal rule.

Defy Medical usually has the cheapest prices for lab tests outside of going to some clinic. Life Extension has the cheapest prices for panels during their spring sale, but individual tests (even during their spring sale) may not be lower than discountlabs.com or Defy. private labs md tends to be more expensive than discountlabs.com though often you can get a 15% discount on privateLabsMD. I have used all of the these at times including clinics.

I usually don't try and get medicare to pay as it first requires a doctors order, which means I need to make an appointment then convince the doctor it's a medical need to get that test and then make sure the doctor uses the code that is needed to get it paid.

How common a test is, what sort of volume the site has for those tests drives how much an individual test can cost.

It does require a lot more leg work and it's certainly not convenient to find the very cheapest prices.

 

[burnoutat42]

If insurance didn't pay, then it's a de facto proof that the right codes needed to get it paid were NOT submitted. Insurance pays occurring to very rigid rules. Of course, you need to find out what those rules are for each insurance plan.

Medicare at least, won't tell you what codes need to be submitted to get them to pay. However, I went to one labcorp office so often the phlebotomist there told me confidently what codes the doctor could use to get it paid for using medicare.

You say "proper codes" but give me the actual codes that were submitted??

There are like 2-8 different codes that can be used to justify the same sort of test. Pick the wrong justification, insurance won't pay.

Of instance, for medicare, if a doctor orders a lipid profile and uses a code that calls it a routine test, medicare won't pay and the lab charged me 87.60. IF however the doctor codes was necessary because of possible cardiovascular problems, they will pay for the same test. THe same lab charged me 159.30 for a vitamin D test.

So I can get a lipid test for $20 and vit D for $25.

The local senior center has the following charges. There are local senior centers / wellness clinics in many locations.

Additional Services

• Hemoglobin A1C - $20
• Tdap (Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis) - $45
• Total Cholesterol/Glucose - $5 (non-fasting, fingerstick)
• Complete Cholesterol - $20 (fasting, includes total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, triglycerides, and glucose)
• Vitamin D - $25
• Hepatitis C Screening - $20 (self-pay only - Medicare/Medicaid recipients not eligible)
• Low cost lab services are available for individuals with no health insurance or private health insurance (must have a doctor's order)*+

I spent 10 years with no insurance at all, then had maybe 5 different insurance plans in 3 years, so I know most of the cheapest ways to get tests done and some info about how those different insurance plans operated.

Some places like clinics you have to say you have no insurance. They don't check, it's just a federal rule.

Defy Medical usually has the cheapest prices for lab tests outside of going to some clinic. Life Extension has the cheapest prices for panels during their spring sale, but individual tests (even during their spring sale) may not be lower than discountlabs.com or Defy. private labs md tends to be more expensive than discountlabs.com though often you can get a 15% discount on privateLabsMD. I have used all of the these at times including clinics.

I usually don't try and get medicare to pay as it first requires a doctors order, which means I need to make an appointment then convince the doctor it's a medical need to get that test and then make sure the doctor uses the code that is needed to get it paid.

How common a test is, what sort of volume the site has for those tests drives how much an individual test can cost.

It does require a lot more leg work and it's certainly not convenient to find the very cheapest prices.

WOW many thanks for all of the valuable information "Much Appreciated" sir! I spent a great deal of time on the phone with various people over at both Labcorp and Medicare with respect to the "Proper Medical Codes"! Initially they both assured me the process of finding the proper codes might take a few days however eventually "We should get everything sorted out"?

Considering you too apparently have Medicare can you kindly possibly private message me the "Proper Codes"? I'm still dealing with the after effects of a "Chemical Brain Injury", now "Fourteen months post Klonopin W/D", after taking the aforementioned RX drug in combination with other RX drugs for over 17 years! I no longer take any "Prescription RX Pills", however I'm still HEALING from the long term effect a myriad of different RX drugs had on both my mind and body over the course of 17 years!

What specific test or "Blood Work", every six months or so through a company such as "Life Extension" would you recommend for someone such as my friend who might possibly do self administered TRT?

I think it should be noted that although I'm not 100% HEALED yet... my once competitive body is slowly but surely coming back to life in large part thanks to TRT(-: I plan on ultimately posting before and after shots here as a testament to efficacy TRT might possibly lend to those going through a similar situation such as myself! This forum has been an incredibly valuable resource and I wouldn't have made it this far without you guys "Thank You"

 

[DragonBits]

WOW many thanks for all of the valuable information "Much Appreciated" sir! I spent a great deal of time on the phone with various people over at both Labcorp and Medicare with respect to the "Proper Medical Codes"! Initially they both assured me the process of finding the proper codes might take a few days however eventually "We should get everything sorted out"?

Considering you too apparently have Medicare can you kindly possibly private message me the "Proper Codes"? I'm still dealing with the after effects of a "Chemical Brain Injury", now "Fourteen months post Klonopin W/D", after taking the aforementioned RX drug in combination with other RX drugs for over 17 years! I no longer take any "Prescription RX Pills", however I'm still HEALING from the long term effect a myriad of different RX drugs had on both my mind and body over the course of 17 years!

What specific test or "Blood Work", every six months or so through a company such as "Life Extension" would you recommend for someone such as my friend who might possibly do self administered TRT?

I think it should be noted that although I'm not 100% HEALED yet... my once competitive body is slowly but surely coming back to life in large part thanks to TRT(-: I plan on ultimately posting before and after shots here as a testament to efficacy TRT might possibly lend to those going through a similar situation such as myself! This forum has been an incredibly valuable resource and I wouldn't have made it this far without you guys "Thank You"

Medical billing is IMO more complicated than the IRS code. People make careers out of understanding them. I wish I could help you, but it isn't that simple. I spent a few weeks trying to understand it, and the code books have 100K enties and they are on version 9 now of ICD, some people still use an older version.

Symptoms are represented by the ICD codes and procedures are represented by the CPT codes.

The only code I know is for Vitamin D, ICD code E55.9, which you can google, will allow medicare to pay for it.

I got no where with medicare, I get where they are coming from. I am basically asking what codes do you pay for and my doc will put them in, and they are saying the doctor should put in the codes that really represent why he/she is asking for the test regardless of if medicare will pay for it.

I like my primary doctor, he is unique, having worked for Cirque du Soleil La Nouba treating injuries, he's a Yoga Teacher Trained at The Chopra Center,. hiking guide, Trained Under Andrew Weil, done a lot of sports injury assessment, acupuncturist.

But he nor his one staff person is very knowledgeable about insurance / medicare billing, which is a weakness not likely to be resolved anytime soon. So I am careful about any medical tests I ask for.

On the other hand, my mother's doctor has been treating medicare patients for decades, he is very good at getting medicare to pay and his staff understand the medical billing system. So if billing problems were an issue, I would go to him.

Just last week I ran into a billing issue. My wife who is 45 wanted to get a pneumonia vaccine. (She has had pneumonia 4 times in the past) I can get one no problem from medicare because I am over 65. I called her insurance, and they said "probably" they would cover it, but give them the CPT code and they would check. The pharmacy said they don't use CPT codes for vaccines, they talked about a ICD code for someone that already had pneumonia. I asked the pharmacy to check her insurance, it was denied. I went down to the pharmacy in person to get my mother a flu vaccine, and asked about pneumonia. This person said said if you are under 65 you first need a doctor's order before they would give a vaccine for someone younger than 65. Probably that was the main reason it was denied. Different answers from different people, typical circle jerk in this area.

I have original medicare, medicare advantage programs work differently. With original medicare you are sometimes asked to sign a Advance Beneficiary Notice (ABN). Never sign this as basically it says if medicare doesn't pay you agree to pay. I refuse to sign unless maybe I am next to death and need this test to save my life.

My advice is to find a doctor that treats a lot of medicare patients, you personally will likely spend at least a month and still not understand it all.

 

[DragonBits]

WOW many thanks for all of the valuable information "Much Appreciated" sir! I spent a great deal of time on the phone with various people over at both Labcorp and Medicare with respect to the "Proper Medical Codes"! Initially they both assured me the process of finding the proper codes might take a few days however eventually "We should get everything sorted out"?


What specific test or "Blood Work", every six months or so through a company such as "Life Extension" would you recommend for someone such as my friend who might possibly do self administered TRT?

When you self administer TRT, you are acting as your own doctor. It behooves you to learn as much as possible about what blood tests should be ordered so that you can make your own decisions.

Some blood tests I have ordered are more specific to me, or more curiosity than a real need.

One thing to be aware of, life extension has a philosophy that men in general don't need estrogen sensitive test, which means none of their panels include it, they all have the standard E2 test. While excelMale / Defy medical insist men should get the E2 sensitive test. If I want to know about E2, I usually order the sensitive test, but don't mind making do with the standard test. Since they don't suggest the E2 sensitive test, they charge $60 while excelmale's ESTRADIOL , Sensitive (LC/MS/MS) charges $43.50.

Life Extension Male Panel (Elite) Blood Test is the most comprehensive, it's $575, goes down to I think $450 during their sale. But it does NOT include E2 sensitive, only E2 standard.

Defy medical sent the following list of labs need to start TRT. This was 18 months ago, prices could have changed.

1. Comprehensive Metabolic Panel- $15
2. CBC- $15
3. Lipid Panel- $15
4. Testosterone Free and Total- $35
5. Estradiol Sensitive- $38
6. DHEA-S- $33
7. TSH-$21
8. PSA-$21
9. LH-$12
10. Sex Hormone Binding Globulin - $44
11. IGF-1 - $30

Total: $279

There are odd things that happen, like Private LabMD list the DHT test for $125, but DHT - Dihydrotestosterone list DHT for $50.00

What often happens, you do a blood test and something like TSH is out of line, which then means you might order a comprehensive thyroid panel.

Another caveat, some states like New York do NOT allow you to buy tests online, people there tend to go to CT to get their tests if they are ordering online.

So there is always a tradeoff on much money you want to spend, and what you truly need, and what can you do about a result of it is out of line?

My post is to give you or your friend a start on how to decide and not to make his decision for him. If he needs that, then I suggest using a doctor or defy medical as they specialize in telling people what to do.

 

[burnoutat42]

Thank you for the valuable information my friend I'll be sure to pass it on to my friend!