Toddler blood work bill way higher than expected…what are my options?

@Koa
Next time, figure out which labs are in-network for you (probably Quest or LabCorp) and ask the doctor to send the lab order there. It’s not intuitive, but it’s a lesson learned.

I had the same thing happen. I went to Quest and paid $19, while the hospital charged $300 for the same tests for my kid.

You can choose where to have tests done. Next time, check for labs that are in-network outside of the hospital. Also, make sure the tests are covered under your insurance.

Ben said:
You can choose where to have tests done. Next time, check for labs that are in-network outside of the hospital. Also, make sure the tests are covered under your insurance.

Good to know for next time!

Maybe the doctor sent you to the hospital because the tests were specialized?

Didn’t they give you an estimate beforehand?

This happened to me, too, and there wasn’t much I could do. You can call insurance and check if it was coded correctly, but that’s about it. Next time, I’d call around for estimates before getting any lab work done.