Blood work is the most overpriced commodity in outpatient medicine. The same panel costs $8 at one Tampa hospital and $180 at another. And standalone labs like Quest and LabCorp, which are not on this site, are almost always cheaper than either.
Hospital labs charge more because they can
Hospitals bill lab work at a premium because they can attach a facility fee to every test. A basic metabolic panel that costs $12 at a standalone lab can cost $120 at a hospital outpatient lab.
If your doctor sends orders to their affiliated hospital lab by default, ask whether you can take the same order to a standalone lab. In almost all cases, you can.
Standalone labs are cheaper and not on this site
Quest Diagnostics and LabCorp are in-network with most major insurers and charge a fraction of hospital outpatient rates for identical tests. Neither is represented in this tool.
For routine blood work ordered by your primary care doctor or specialist, take the order to a standalone lab. The process is identical: you walk in, get drawn, results go to your doctor.
Fasting requirements vary by panel
A comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP) and lipid panel require fasting for accurate results. A complete blood count (CBC) does not.
If your doctor ordered multiple panels, check whether any require fasting. Scheduling a morning appointment at a standalone lab before breakfast is the most efficient approach.