Cost Comparisons of Physician-Ordered Versus Direct-to-Consumer Laboratory Testing
Author Information
Author(s): Muacevic Alexander, Adler John R, Lin Trevor, Margo Curtis E
Primary Institution: Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, USA
Hypothesis
Is direct-to-consumer (DTC) laboratory testing less expensive for patients compared to physician-ordered tests?
Conclusion
Direct-to-consumer laboratory tests are generally cheaper than physician-ordered tests, especially for uninsured patients.
Supporting Evidence
- DTC tests were generally lower than mean insurance-negotiated hospital prices.
- Uninsured patients faced much higher costs for physician-ordered tests compared to DTC tests.
- There was a significant variation in hospital pricing for laboratory tests.
Takeaway
This study found that getting lab tests directly from companies is usually cheaper than going through a doctor, especially if you don't have insurance.
Methodology
The study compared costs of six common lab tests from two DTC labs with those from 42 physician-ordered labs in Florida.
Limitations
The study only examined six commonly ordered tests and two DTC laboratories.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Want to read the original?
Access the complete publication on the publisher's website