ColoHealth Additional Benefit: Discounted Lab Fees
How to Lower Your Lab Costs: Pay Less for Blood Tests,
CAT Scans, Hormone Tests, and More
Some of the highest mark-ups among medical expenses involve lab tests (click here to see how a patient’s $744 lab fee was repriced to only $58.32). When you have lab tests performed in a hospital, or blood drawn at your doctor’s office and sent off to a lab, you almost always pay more than if you order those tests on your own from an independent lab. Not only are you paying a retail rate to the lab, but typically the doctor’s office also adds their cut to the price.
As with most healthcare expenditures, the patient typically does little-to-no price shopping before ordering lab work. There is also often a markup by the doctor on tests he or she may order. So prices are far higher than they should be. Instead of participating in this messed-up system, most ColoHealth clients are opting out by ordering their own tests.
Discounted Tests Through Direct Labs
ColoHealth has contracted with Direct Labs to make their lowest pricing available to our clients and visitors. After joining (there is no cost to do so), you may order your lab tests.
The President of ColoHealth, Wiley Long, recently ordered a Comprehensive Wellness Profile (CWP). This standard group of tests provides information about the current status of your kidney and liver function, infection and nutrition, risk of diabetes and risk of heart disease. It includes measurements of total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, triglycerides, liver enzymes, blood glucose, and many other factors.
This test, which may have cost over $565 if done at a hospital or doctor’s office, cost him only $97.
It is not uncommon to save 80% or more on the cost of your tests. You can even use these testing services when your own doctor is ordering tests. Just explain that you are paying for the tests yourself since you have not yet met your deductible, and as an involved consumer you wish to minimize your out-of-pocket expenses. If your doctor has a problem with this, you may want to hire a new doctor.
You can order the tests online, go have your blood drawn without making an appointment, and get your results online within 48 hours. There is no charge for this benefit.
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