Getting your testing covered, or buying it cheap

Buy most blood tests in cash through us. At Quest: lipid panel $5, A1c $5, ApoB $18, Lp(a) $16. Put every test on one order so the $19.50 in fees ($10 draw, $9.50 authorization) is paid once. Our 19-test Quest starting panel is $209.04 all in.

For: most members; members in Humboldt County use Labcorp · Our prices · How our fees work

Use insurance for the $0 preventive list and the expensive tests. $0 on most commercial plans, in-network: diabetes screening at ages 35 to 70 with a BMI of 25 or more, colorectal screening at 45 to 75, a mammogram every other year for women 40 to 74, bone density for women 65 and older. A sleep study is worth claiming when you have symptoms.

For: commercial plans; Medicare has its own list · The $0 list · Which route for which test

Tell your doctor the true facts, and let them choose the codes. Say your real risk factors before the test is ordered, like a father's heart attack at 52 or a past high result. Never ask for a symptom or diagnosis you don't have. Before you leave, ask: "Does anything you ordered today need prior authorization?"

For: anyone getting tests through insurance · What to ask your doctor for

Keep a free visit free. Book it by name: a "preventive visit," or on Medicare the "Annual Wellness Visit." Ask the front desk: "Will anything today be billed beyond my preventive visit?" Raising a new problem can add a second visit that carries your normal copay or deductible.

For: anyone booking a yearly checkup · The free visit that sends a bill

If a claim is denied, read the EOB and appeal. Call and ask why; many denials are coding errors. You have at least 180 days to file an internal appeal, then 4 months to ask for an external review. Original Medicare: 120 days. Medicare Advantage: 65 days.

For: anyone with a denied claim · When a claim is denied

Shop for scans before you book. Similar CAC scans cost $49 at one hospital and $325 at another. Body-composition DEXA starts at $99, and home sleep tests at $139. Most hospitals want a doctor's order even for cash.

For: anyone paying cash for a scan · Scan and kit prices

Pay with your HSA or FSA, and keep every receipt. Lab fees and scans count, even tests you order yourself. There's no deadline to reimburse yourself from an HSA. Wearables, supplements, and gyms usually don't count.

For: anyone with an HSA or FSA · HSA and FSA rules