POZ Community Forums

Main Forums => Living With HIV => Topic started by: ACinKC on January 09, 2007, 03:38:42 pm

Title: Lab Costs
Post by: ACinKC on January 09, 2007, 03:38:42 pm: I goto my ID dr and get my labs done and they cost me $200 bucks or so to get them done.... is this right?
Title: Re: Lab Costs
Post by: pozguy75 on January 09, 2007, 03:47:52 pm: All depends on what your insurance coverage is...you need to look at what your coverage entails for specialists...it could be very different from what your PCP will cover...
Title: Re: Lab Costs
Post by: ACinKC on January 09, 2007, 03:48:57 pm: Yeah true. Guess I need to ask Mom and Dad why they are so cheap with my insurance!!
Title: Re: Lab Costs
Post by: Strayboy74 on January 09, 2007, 04:06:21 pm: Quote from: ACinKC on January 09, 2007, 03:48:57 pm
Yeah true. Guess I need to ask Mom and Dad why they are so cheap with my insurance!!

You might want to look into getting a flexible spending account, so that it won't hit you so hard. especially if you get labs done every three months - $800
Title: Re: Lab Costs
Post by: Tucsonwoody on January 09, 2007, 04:25:44 pm: Another example of the insurance puzzle - right now I go for a blood draw at least once a week and I don't pay anything at all, it all goes to my insurance (which I am sure they love). And my ID doctor is also my primary care doctor so I only pay the PC co-pay not the specialist co-pay when I see her. And if I see the therapist, nutritionist or pharmacist, I don't pay anything.

And my policy isn't all that great as I am paying for it myself - so I didn't even realize you had to pay for labs till I read this thread.
Title: Re: Lab Costs
Post by: Longislander on January 09, 2007, 05:18:26 pm: when I didn't have my ins card, the bill for full labs was $257.64
Title: Re: Lab Costs
Post by: RapidRod on January 09, 2007, 06:16:50 pm: Mine run over 580 dollars for lab work. Then I have more tests ran than the average Joe, cause I'm special. ;D
Title: Re: Lab Costs
Post by: Strayboy74 on January 09, 2007, 06:32:10 pm: Quote from: RapidRod on January 09, 2007, 06:16:50 pm
I have more tests ran than the average Joe, cause I'm special. ;D

I resent that.

-joseph
(joe)
Title: Re: Lab Costs
Post by: koi1 on January 09, 2007, 07:44:18 pm: I am with Kaiser, and so far have not had to pay for any of my labs. That included an MRI a CTscan, a spinal tap, x-rays, an ultrasound, and countless labs for blood feces urine and spit. Kaiser can be a great HMO if you advocate for yourself and insist ont he best care.

rob
Title: Re: Lab Costs
Post by: Coffeechick88 on January 09, 2007, 08:17:49 pm: It all depends on insurance and the lab. For example, do you have a deductable you have to meet before you get a certain percentage paid after that? Does the insurance have rules about what labs you can go to? Also, the way the lab charge--I notice a difference in charges between different hospitals--one did the labs on-site and the other sent them to a reference lab. The one that did the labs on-site was much more expensive. I suspect this is because they don't have to pass on discounts like reference labs do. Our lab has Labcorp as one of the reference labs and they give the lab a 75% discount. The formula for what our lab then charges the patient--I guess for drawing their blood and such is (1.5 x cost of lab test) + 15. Even with that formula, it was still only about half of what the other lab charged. My insurance also paid for 100% of that.

My insurance has multiple personalities. I went to a facility, they paid for 80% after the deductable(network benefit-premium benefit they would have paid 100%), then for the 3 month labs after that, they denied the whole thing since I didn't use an approved facility. When I asked them what the deal was, they basically said, "Ooops we shouldn't have paid for the first labs, but there is nothing we can do now." I think they saw that I would be running up a very large bill, so they decided to use an obscure clause that says if they want to, they can refuse payment even if you are in network, but aren't using one of their facilities. so that bill was $800.00. Then the hospital refused to honor the repricing agreement (the money they pay the hospital out of what they charge) they had with the insurance company, so I was stuck with the whole 800 dollar bill. Assholes. I am paying them in small amounts, though. So some places you have to watch what lab you go to.

A flexible spending account can be a good option, but the bad thing is, if you don't use it, you lose it--an unused balance doesn't roll over to the next year, so that can screw you over.
Title: Re: Lab Costs
Post by: J.R.E. on January 09, 2007, 08:25:36 pm: Under my old Cigna Plan, there was no additional charge for the labs. I believe the company nogotiated for the same thing with the new Aetna plan that became effective on Jan1,07. I will have to check to verify that.

I will find out soon enough, go in for blood work this Thursday.

Ray
Title: Re: Lab Costs
Post by: David_CA on January 09, 2007, 10:09:10 pm: The State Employees's insurance (state of NC) offered a PPO this year. It's free as was my standard insurance last year. The primary reason I switched to it is that ALL my labs are free, as are x-rays (had a bunch of 'em when I was sick). The State's negotiated price for labs is anywhere from 30-75% less than the 'retail' price of the labs. I'd say it depends on if you have a PPO / HMO or standard med. insurance and how good it is. A flexible spending account can really help to with copays.

David
Title: Re: Lab Costs
Post by: texasguy on January 09, 2007, 10:24:27 pm: United Health Care beginning January 1st has contracted LabCorp for ten years to be their sole lab for their network. My doc switched from LabCorp to another lab last year. So I'm not sure what's going to happen now. :(
Title: Re: Lab Costs
Post by: David_CA on January 09, 2007, 10:29:08 pm: Quote from: texasguy on January 09, 2007, 10:24:27 pm
United Health Care beginning January 1st has contracted LabCorp for ten years to be their sole lab for their network. My doc switched from LabCorp to another lab last year. So I'm not sure what's going to happen now. :(

My PPO uses LabCorp to for its labs (no charge to me), so I'm not complaining. For some reason, I don't really care for LabCorp, but they actually seem to be ok.

David
Title: Re: Lab Costs
Post by: Tucsonwoody on January 09, 2007, 10:31:05 pm: Hey Texasguy - hopefully it won't matter which lab you go to. I go to LabCorp and they just send the results to my doctor even though there is a lab in her office that is run by another company.
Title: Re: Lab Costs
Post by: Strayboy74 on January 09, 2007, 10:31:47 pm: Quote from: David_NC on January 09, 2007, 10:29:08 pm
My PPO uses LabCorp to for its labs (no charge to me), so I'm not complaining. For some reason, I don't really care for LabCorp, but they actually seem to be ok.

David

I used to use them here in California with my Blue Cross HMO... their phelbotomists drew blood with big-gulp straws - the ones with the spoons at the end. LOL

-joseph
Title: Re: Lab Costs
Post by: Eldon on January 10, 2007, 12:26:55 am: Ouch.
Title: Re: Lab Costs
Post by: Christine on January 10, 2007, 12:47:31 pm: Mine usually run around $300-350. Insurance pays for 80%, then once I hit the deductible ($2500) it is covered at 100%.

Since I am in a study right now, labs and ID doctor visits are covered under the study, so it is no charge during participation in the study.

Christine
Title: Re: Lab Costs
Post by: Eldon on January 10, 2007, 06:44:36 pm: (http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o134/forfun_06/3338477911.jpg)

Something has to get done about all of these associated costs. Especially for the ones whom are on a restricted income.

"What can I notice right now that makes me smile?"