Short answer: Blood test prices vary a lot, and the same test can cost different amounts at different labs. Ask for the price before you go, and ask if there is a lower self-pay price. Some direct primary care practices offer discounted labs to members. Hospitals must also post cash prices online, including for lab tests.
Each lab and hospital sets its own prices. A basic test and a long panel of tests are priced differently, and a lab inside a hospital may charge a different amount than a stand-alone lab. Because of this, an average price from a website may not match what you are charged.
Self-pay means you are paying yourself and not billing insurance. When you call, ask these questions.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) says providers usually must give a good faith estimate, which is a written list of expected charges, to people who do not have or use insurance. You get it when you schedule care in advance or when you ask for one.
Direct primary care (DPC) means you pay a flat fee to your doctor. Familydoctor.org, the patient site of the American Academy of Family Physicians, says some lab tests may cost extra with a DPC practice and that these prices are often highly discounted. It says your doctor can give you prices in advance. Every practice is different, so ask which tests are included in the membership. Learn more about what direct primary care is.
CMS says hospitals must post pricing information online so people can compare prices across hospitals. A hospital must publish a large file covering all of its items and services, and it must also show a list of shoppable services in a consumer-friendly format. CMS says these postings must include the discounted cash price, which is the price a hospital is willing to accept from a patient who pays directly. CMS lists laboratory tests among the shoppable services, which are services you can schedule ahead of time. Prices can change, so call the hospital to confirm the self-pay price before you go.
You can find a direct-pay doctor near you and see what direct primary care costs in each state. For other ways to keep costs down, see how to see a doctor without insurance.
Yes. CMS says hospitals must provide pricing information online, including a file of all items and services and a list of shoppable services. CMS says these must include the discounted cash price, which is the price the hospital accepts from a patient who pays directly.
Familydoctor.org says some lab tests may cost extra at a DPC practice and that prices are often highly discounted. Ask the practice which tests are included and what the others cost.
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