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12-30-2009, 03:11 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Monaco Owners Club
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Morro Bay, CA
Posts: 818
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Blood Tests On The Road - A Solution
I have to get a blood test for Cumadin, every 3-4 weeks. This is a pain when we are on the road and I have to go looking for a blood lab. I have to pay cash since I use a HMO and am not old enough for Medicare. Some labs only take insurance, hospitals have no idea what they will charge until they send you a bill, etc. I have paid $18-$125 for the same test.
I have discovered the perfect solution for locating the nearest blood lab and getting the best price on the tests I need.
The online company is called PersonaLabs www.personalabs.com
Once you set up an account, you can order any of more than 700 blood tests. They drop into a shopping cart, just like Amazon. They have a deal with 1,700 labs around the U.S. and you can search for the nearest one. The lab order goes into the lab's computer system, showing it prepaid and the charge is the cheap one that the insurance companies get. Not the walk-in cash price rip off. When you check out, you can pay with PayPal.
Once you have checked out, the prepaid lab order goes into a computer system that all of the labs have access to. When you get to the lab, you just give them a copy of your confirmation email and the order shows up, prepaid, in the labs system. They like it because they do not have to enter all of your info into their system; it is already there. They see that it is prepaid and they take your blood and you are out the door. Personalabs will post the results to your online account in about 48 hours. You can email it to your doctor or if you have to fax it as I do, you can use Free Fax • Free Internet Faxing. I just save the results from my Personalabs account as a file and attach it to the fax on line. You can either send a free fax with an ad on it or pay $1.99 for a non-ad fax. Again, you can use PayPal for the fax.
PersonaLabs also points out that since you order your own tests and the results are only sent to you, that you can have tests done and the results will not be available to your insurance company or anyone else. I find that I like to have an ocassional blood test done and don't want to have to go through my doctor to get the lab slip. If I want him to have the results, I can send it to him or not.
I have used PersonaLabs for about 9 months and all up and down the West Coast. It is a great system and I recommend it.
Luke
__________________
Luke and Kathy & Bootsie kitty, Morro Bay,CA
2007 Diplomat 40' SFT
2013 Honda CR-V "More is the enemy of enough."
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12-30-2009, 04:03 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Monaco Owners Club
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Melbourne & Marathon, Florida
Posts: 1,537
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Thank you for the information, it sounds like agood program.
__________________
2005 Safari Cheetah 38PDQ - 2009 Ford Flex
Me (Gatogonow), The Boss (DW), Honey Bunny, Maggie May and Mollie Kay (The Gatos)!
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12-30-2009, 06:41 PM
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#3
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Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Columbia, SC
Posts: 21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lukeaa
I have to get a blood test for Cumadin, every 3-4 weeks. This is a pain when we are on the road and I have to go looking for a blood lab. I have to pay cash since I use a HMO and am not old enough for Medicare. Some labs only take insurance, hospitals have no idea what they will charge until they send you a bill, etc. I have paid $18-$125 for the same test.
I have discovered the perfect solution for locating the nearest blood lab and getting the best price on the tests I need.
The online company is called PersonaLabs www.personalabs.com
Once you set up an account, you can order any of more than 700 blood tests. They drop into a shopping cart, just like Amazon. They have a deal with 1,700 labs around the U.S. and you can search for the nearest one. The lab order goes into the lab's computer system, showing it prepaid and the charge is the cheap one that the insurance companies get. Not the walk-in cash price rip off. When you check out, you can pay with PayPal.
Once you have checked out, the prepaid lab order goes into a computer system that all of the labs have access to. When you get to the lab, you just give them a copy of your confirmation email and the order shows up, prepaid, in the labs system. They like it because they do not have to enter all of your info into their system; it is already there. They see that it is prepaid and they take your blood and you are out the door. Personalabs will post the results to your online account in about 48 hours. You can email it to your doctor or if you have to fax it as I do, you can use Free Fax • Free Internet Faxing. I just save the results from my Personalabs account as a file and attach it to the fax on line. You can either send a free fax with an ad on it or pay $1.99 for a non-ad fax. Again, you can use PayPal for the fax.
PersonaLabs also points out that since you order your own tests and the results are only sent to you, that you can have tests done and the results will not be available to your insurance company or anyone else. I find that I like to have an ocassional blood test done and don't want to have to go through my doctor to get the lab slip. If I want him to have the results, I can send it to him or not.
I have used PersonaLabs for about 9 months and all up and down the West Coast. It is a great system and I recommend it.
Luke
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Wow...sounds fantastic.
I have to be tested regularly as well and it is a royal pain. My Dr uses the finger prick method and results are nearly instantaneous. Have you found any sites that do that?
Also, can you submit to the insurance companies if you wish?
I spent a couple of hours today trying to find a place to get tested in Florida next month when we're on the road.
I've also considered getting a home unit called Coagucheck, but my Dr. is not willing to approve it. Any experience with that?
Thanks for posting this...I'm going to try it out shortly.
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12-30-2009, 10:04 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Winnebago Owners Club
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Solon, Ohio USA
Posts: 424
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I also have to be tested. We were in Bradenton, FL., and I live near Cleveland, OH. I had my doctor FAX an order to the lab at the local hospital, and they did the test, files an insurance claim for me (Humana), and sent the results back to my doctor. I'm over 65, so Humana handles my Medicare account. They did that two months in a row.
I like your idea when you are traveling alot. I was in one spot for almost three months.
Happy New Year and Safe Travel
W8RLM - Bob
__________________
2006 Winnebago Journey, Model 39K, 2013 Dodge Dart
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12-30-2009, 10:18 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Monaco Owners Club
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Morro Bay, CA
Posts: 818
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PaulB,
Since I have to pay for the test when I am out of the HMO area, I have never submitted the bill. I would think that a regular insurance plan would reimburse for expenses like this.
My HMO currently only offers the finger stick units to patients that are home bound.
Luke
__________________
Luke and Kathy & Bootsie kitty, Morro Bay,CA
2007 Diplomat 40' SFT
2013 Honda CR-V "More is the enemy of enough."
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12-31-2009, 09:28 AM
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#6
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Senior Member
Newmar Owners Club
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Edgewater, NJ-Now touring the USA
Posts: 955
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We use Quest Labs which are located all over the Country. If some where in their name is Quest, they belong to the National group.
We find one where ever we are, the DR. will fax order to lab and than lab will fax results to DR.
Price $20-30 if we pay, so far only in New Mexico, all others they accepted our insurance, non medicare.
__________________
2005 KSDP 3910-----2007 Jeep Liberty
THE MIND IS LIKE A PARACHUTE, IT MUST BE OPEN TO WORK
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12-31-2009, 12:36 PM
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#7
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: West Palm Beach, FL. USA
Posts: 28,378
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Lab Corp and Quest Labs are both nationwide and have online directories to easily locate them wherever you are. But I like the Personal Labs thing too, especially since I can order my own tests without getting my personal physician to agree to order a test, get his office to fax it to the lab and then contact me with the results. If you have a condition that needs monitoring while you travel, this sounds like a terrific solution.
__________________
Gary Brinck
Former owner of 2004 American Tradition and several other RVs
Home is now West Palm Beach, FL
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01-24-2010, 07:46 PM
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#8
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Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Columbia, SC
Posts: 21
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Blood tests
Tried the PersonaLabs solution and it was great!! Got in and out of the place quickly, had my results on line within 24 hours, faxed to my Dr and all is good.
Previously I had to wait in some emergency room with lots of sick people just waiting to get a blood test.
Thanks so much for this great suggestion!!
Paul
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