General Guidelines to Follow with All Blood Draws

  1. Fasting vs 2HPP: Be certain whether your test needs to be drawn in a FASTING state (no food for the past 10 hours, versus drawn 2 hours after eating a prescribed high glycemic (sugar) meal (2HPP). 

  1. Testosterone: If you take testosterone by injection then always get testosterone labs rechecked 48 hours after last testosterone injection. 

  1. Thyroid: If you take thyroid medication such as Levoxyl, Synthroid or SR-T3 then always take your prescribed thyroid medication 2 to 2.5 hours before the blood draw. 

  1. Lab Results will be reviewed with you in great detail at the time of your next appointment to ensure proper understanding and development of an effective treatment plan.  

Why Use Lab Corp?    

It is strongly recommended that you have your blood lab tests done thru LabCorp, the largest and most comprehensive lab available nationally. Lab Corp is located here in our office for your convenience 5 days per week: 

  • Monday – Friday 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Our office is the best option for a lab draw. You’ll avoid lab draw errors that can occur outside this office. However, if it’s more convenient for you to use another LabCorp location, find a suitable location here.

LabCorp Locations

We have direct access to the LabCorp database and can access your lab results at the time of your appointment. Most major medical insurance companies recognize LabCorp as an “in-network” provider so cost should be covered to the degree specified in your policy.

If you choose to use another lab other than LabCorp then obtaining and providing lab results at the time of your appointment becomes your responsibility. Most hospitals and peripheral labs do a very poor job of forwarding your results to our medical office, which results in delays and frustrations at the time of appointment. Fewer problems are experienced when LabCorp is used. 

Standard Insurance: when having LabCorp draw your lab tests you can simply ask that the fee be submitted to your insurance company for payment. If you have “standard insurance” and you are certain that your coverage has paid for the majority of your testing in the past then this may be the easiest option. I would recommend that you ask your insurance company what your expected financial obligation will be for the lab being ordered. This may help avoid any financial surprises. 

High Deductible – Health Savings Account (HSA): More and more we see that many people have HSA accounts with high deductibles. This typically means that you will be held responsible for the cost of labs until your deductible has been met. For this situation, we have worked with LabCorp to provide a very beneficial option for you. We have negotiated a deeply discounted “pre-paid” lab rate that could save you hundreds of dollars on your lab services. Our negotiated cost for labs is typically 5 to 10 times cheaper than the cost for the exact same lab through your insurance company plan. This lab fee is pre-paid prior to the blood draw and allows YOU and I, rather than your insurance company, to set the price. You will know exactly what it will cost you. No surprises. To explore the "Pre-Paid" lab option simply ask any of our staff for help and information. 

The negotiated fees established between insurance companies and lab companies are exceedingly high and typically runs 5 to 10 times the actual cost of the test itself. We find this appalling and intolerable. Why should you be forced to pay $100 for a $10 test? And why can’t your insurance company tell you the price BEFORE you get the lab done?  

Here is one case in point. A patient brought me their bill for labs done thru their insurance approved “in-network” lab provider (Quest Diagnostics).

Quest Diagnostics charged a patient the following fees:

Testosterone

  • Quest Fee - $190.36
  • Our Fee Through LabCorp - $21.83

SHBG

  • Quest Fee - $135.20
  • Our Fee Through LabCorp - $32.01

NMR Lipid Panel

  • Quest Fee - $191.68
  • Our Fee Through LabCorp - $89.86 (for everything) 

The patient paid $517.24 for these simple tests when they could have pre-paid $143.70 for the same exact tests done through LabCorp.  

We are all in favor of using your insurance company to pay for your labs. If you know that you get nearly complete coverage for lab work then, by all means, follow that path. But if you have a high deductible plan we want to help you avoid the sticker shock and surprise of not knowing what you are being charged. If you have an interest in pre-paying for any lab service then ask our staff for assistance at check out. We think all health care expenses should be exposed to the light of day before you commit to payment. 

LabCorp Locations

Go to the LabCorp website for Lab locations:  https://www.labcorp.com/wps/portal/findalab 


Test Kits / Instructions


Hormone Test

Topical hormones such as creams and patches are a great way to get hormones into the body, but their presence cannot be detected by a standard venous blood test. Topical hormones need to tested through saliva or blood spot from a finger prick. To achieve an accurate measurement, please follow the instructions provided here. You may also go to the ZRT website for detailed instructions and videos.

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Cortisol - ZRT Test

Cortisol rises sharply in the first 30 minutes of the day and then gradually declines to low levels by nightfall. Checking the level of cortisol at different times of the day offers the most accurate assessment of your adrenal performance. This test is the single best lab assessment to show how your body is responding to stress over time. Please follow all of the directions closely in order to achieve an accurate measure.   

For detailed guidance on how to collect a specimen go to the ZRT website for instructions and videos.

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Heavy Metals Urine Challenge Test

We are all exposed to heavy metals each day of our life but some people are less able to excrete or remove the metals. The bioaccumulation of metals in our body can be made worse by our personal environment, our homes, our diet, and other lifestyle habits that affect our ability to detoxify. 

Metals affect hundreds of chemical reactions in our body and are linked to heart disease, gut and immune system issues, cognitive decline, generalized neurologic difficulties, cancer risk, and all sorts of endocrine (hormone) imbalances and dysfunctions, including infertility. Please follow the directions carefully to ensure an accurate result. 

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2 Hour Blood Sugar Test

A simple "fasting" blood sugar test will miss 40% of people who have type 2 diabetes or insulin resistance. It is only by challenging the body with a sugar load that we truly get a view of how well your body manages sugar. This is the best test for uncovering faulty blood sugar control that can lead to vascular and heart disease. It is one of the primary mechanisms for triggering inflammation in the body and the development of weight gain as well as a host of other degenerative diseases. More importantly, it can identify reversible problems before they become full-blown disease states such as type 2 diabetes. 

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Genetics Panel Test

Huber Personalized Medicine is extremely excited to offer their patients genetic testing. Your genes can tell you a lot about your health and possible health risks. Here at HPM, we focus on the major health-related data including the BRCA Gene, prostate cancer risk, Alzheimer’s risk, Celiac risks, Folic acid methylation (MTHFR), and many more. By knowing your genetic risks we are able to modify your lifestyle and nutrition to help prevent problems before issues arise.

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