BILL OF THE MONTH

She was elated about her pregnancy. Then came a $2,400 bill for blood tests

NOVEMBER 21, 2023 5:00 AM ET
FROM KFF Health News

By Rachana Pradhan, Emily Siner

What gives: Ahmed's situation reveals how hospital-based labs often charge high prices for tests. Even when providers are in network, a patient can be on the hook for thousands of dollars for common blood tests that are far cheaper in other settings. Research shows hospitals typically charge much more than physician's offices or independent commercial labs for the same tests.

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In Texas, the same lab tests were at least six times as expensive in a hospital as in a doctor's office, according to research from the Health Care Cost Institute, a nonprofit that examines health spending.

The markup can be even higher depending on the test. HCCI data, based on 2019 prices, shows the median price for a complete blood count in Texas was $6.34 at an independent lab and $58.22 at a hospital. Texas Health charged Ahmed $206.69 for that test alone.

"It is convenient to get your lab done right in the same building," said Jessica Chang, a senior researcher at HCCI, but "many patients are not thinking about how highly marked up these lab tests are." Chang said she suspects many hospitals tack on their overhead costs when they bill insurance.

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