It makes me crazy when I hear from thyroid patients who are paying health insurance co-pays of hundreds of dollars for their blood tests. It also makes me crazy when I hear from patients whose doctors actually mark up the cost of blood tests they do in-office by 100% or more! I’m also not a fan of health insurers or HMOs that limit you to ONE thyroid panel per year! That’s totally ridiculous!
That’s why I’m a big fan of direct-to-consumer laboratory testing. You order your own lab tests online, without having to wait for an appointment and visit a doctor, or get approvals from your doctor or insurance. You then go to a convenient nearby lab for the actual blood draw. Your test results will be available securely, online, in just a few days! (And again, you also won’t have to wait days or weeks for the doctor’s office to call you with results, chase them down with numerous phone calls, or even worse, wait for another appointment to actually get your results!)
Why wait weeks or months to find out what’s going on with your thyroid and related health issues, when you can find out this week?! (And don’t forget that you can order your tests now, and use them later when you need them.)
Taking control is part of feeling and living well!
~ Mary
This week, my favorite direct-to-consumer lab, Ulta Lab Tests, is offering 20% off of their key blood test panels for hypothyroidism and Hashimoto's. Ulta’s prices are amazing…and are often less than your insurance copay!
TH-1 Hypothyroidism Panel
Do you need basic blood tests to diagnose hypothyroidism? Do you need to check in on how well your hypothyroidism is being managed? Is your doctor or insurance company charging you an arm and a leg (and a thyroid!) for blood tests? This is the key thyroid panel to order! The panel includes TSH, Free T4, and Free T3 tests.
(The 20% off price is only $47.20!)
Thyroid Comprehensive Panel, Including Antibodies
Do you need the basic tests to diagnose hypothyroidism, AND Hashimoto's thyroiditis, the autoimmune condition that causes hypothyroidism? Do you need to check in on how well your thyroid is responding to treatment? The Thyroid Foundational Panel includes: TSH, Free T4, Free T3, AND Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies and Thyroglobulin Antibodies.
And, if along with your hypothyroidism, you're also dealing with hair loss, weight gain/difficulty losing weight, fatigue, high cholesterol, and/or high antibodies, you'll also love that this panel includes the following relevant tests: Ferritin, Glucose, Hemoglobin A1c (HgbA1C), Insulin, Iron and Total Iron Binding Capacity (TIBC), Lipid Panel, 25-Hydroxyvitamin D, Vitamin B12, and Selenium.
(The 20% off price is only $199.20!)
Reverse T3 Test
Are you taking a T3 medication (like Cytomel, liothyronine, or natural desiccated thyroid) and need to find out how much active T3 is actually getting to your cells? Are you trying to determine if you might benefit from adding a T3 medication to your hypothyroidism treatment? Add on a Reverse T3 test to your thyroid panel and see how much of this inactive form of T3 you're producing.
My thyroid on right side of neck swollen. Waiting for a month to get in dr.