I Pay For My Own Labs – And Why You Should Too

You may have just finished reading our page on Functional Chemistry Analysis and now understand the value of a comprehensive evaluation. If you haven’t read it yet, we encourage you to take a moment to do so—it will answer many of your questions about laboratory testing.

When it comes to optimizing health, data is everything. The more precise and comprehensive the information, the better the decisions we can make. One of the most effective ways to get an accurate picture of your health is through lab testing—but not just any lab testing.

I prefer to order my own labs rather than rely on traditional healthcare systems. And if you’re serious about understanding your health, you might want to consider it too. The best part? You can now order labs through us at significantly discounted cash-pay prices—without dealing with insurance hassles or inflated costs.

1. A Complete Picture – A True Snapshot in Time

When you get routine lab work done through a traditional healthcare system, tests are often ordered in isolation. Maybe your doctor orders a few labs now, then follows up with another set a few months later. The problem? This staggered approach makes it difficult to see how different systems in your body are functioning together at any given moment.

I prefer to get all my labs at the same time. Why? Because lab results are like a photograph—they capture a moment in time. If you only take partial snapshots at different times, you’re missing the full picture.

For example, if you’re trying to assess hormone function, inflammatory markers, and metabolic health, testing everything simultaneously allows you to compare values directly. It eliminates the guesswork and prevents misleading conclusions that can arise when different labs are taken at different times under different conditions.

2. Traditional Labs Are Low-Resolution—More Data = More Clarity

Another reason I order my own labs is that traditional lab panels often lack resolution—they only give you part of the information you need.

Imagine having a high-definition TV, but only 20 pixels are illuminated. You can see something, but it’s impossible to know what you’re really looking at. This is what happens with conventional lab testing—most panels only check a handful of markers, giving a vague sense of what's happening in your body but leaving critical details out.

Comprehensive testing, on the other hand, is like upgrading to a high-resolution image. The more data points you collect, the more "pixels" you illuminate, allowing for a clearer, sharper understanding of your health.

For instance, a standard thyroid panel might only check TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone). But TSH alone doesn't tell you much. A full thyroid panel—including free T3, free T4, reverse T3, and thyroid antibodies—provides a much clearer picture of thyroid function.

The same principle applies to nearly every area of lab testing, from hormones to metabolic health to micronutrient levels. More data means more clarity, allowing for better decisions about your health.

3. The Insurance Trap – And Why It’s More Expensive Than You Think

At this point, you might be thinking, That makes sense—I’ll just ask my doctor to order these labs and have insurance cover them.

It’s a good thought, but it doesn’t always work out that way— no matter how great your insurance is, or how badly your doctor wants to help you. When it comes to laboratory testing—especially broad, functional chemistry analysis—insurance companies typically resist covering extensive panels because their financial model is designed to pay for the least expensive, most narrowly focused testing required to confirm a diagnosis or rule out a condition. Their goal is cost containment, not comprehensive discovery.

How Insurance Limits Broad Laboratory Testing:

1. Insurance typically covers tests deemed “medically necessary” based on strict, predefined guidelines. If a test doesn’t fit within these narrow diagnostic codes, it’s often denied.
2. Insurance favors basic tests (e.g., CBC, lipid panel) over comprehensive panels that analyze multiple biomarkers. Functional and integrative medicine testing is frequently denied because it doesn’t fit conventional medical models.
3. Many insurers require a stepwise approach—approving one test at a time rather than broad panels that could identify multiple issues at once. This slows the diagnostic process and may delay effective treatment.
4. Insurers often label broad-spectrum testing as “experimental” or “investigational” unless there’s a very clear, immediate reason tied to a diagnosis. This means patients who want a full-body, proactive approach to their health often must pay out of pocket.
5. Even when a test is approved, high deductibles, co-pays, and coverage limits mean that patients often still bear a significant financial burden.

The result for someone trying to uncover root causes of their symptoms through comprehensive testing is that insurance can be a major barrier. They often have to fight for coverage, settle for incomplete testing, or pay out of pocket for the deeper investigative work that functional and precision medicine requires.

Many of the most insightful tests are considered “unnecessary” by insurance companies, even if they provide crucial information about your health. If your doctor does order them, insurance may deny coverage, leaving you responsible for the full cost. And here’s the catch—when insurance denies a test as unnecessary, they don’t pay the negotiated rate. Instead, they classify the test as “patient responsibility,” which means you are on the hook for the full price the lab charges.

You might assume the price difference isn’t that big. That’s inaccurate. Labs bill insurance providers insanely high prices—because they can. Don’t believe us? Next time you have labs done, take a look at your Explanation of Benefits (EOB) from your insurance company. You’ll see the "billed price"—this is the amount the lab originally charged before insurance "negotiated" it down.

This is why many advanced healthcare providers bypass insurance altogether for functional chemistry analysis—ensuring patients get the thorough insights they need without interference from cost-driven insurance algorithms.

Real-World Example: A $400 Panel vs. a $5,500 Bill

When patients decide to go use their insurance companies via their family doctor for all of the labs that we order (in our $400 panel), we have seen patients receive bills between $2,500 and $5,500, after their insurance denies coverage. That’s almost 14 times the cost—for the exact same tests. And if you don’t pay it? They send you to collections. By the time you receive the bill, it’s usually too late to negotiate. The lab doesn’t care that you thought insurance was going to cover it. You’re legally obligated to pay whatever they originally billed your insurance, not the discounted rate your insurance might have paid if they had approved it.

This is why so many people are blindsided by outrageous medical bills.

The Better Way: Order Your Labs Through Us, at Discounted Prices.

Instead of going through insurance and risking outrageous fees, you can order your labs directly through me at significantly discounted cash-pay prices.

I’m part of a co-op that allows me to order comprehensive lab panels at a fraction of the retail cost—often cheaper than what insurance-negotiated rates would be (especially if they deny your claim).

✅ No surprise bills
✅ Transparent pricing upfront
✅ Comprehensive, high-resolution testing
✅ Faster results—no insurance delays

This allows you to get the exact data you need, all at once, without the stress of insurance deciding what’s “medically necessary.”

Take Control of Your Health

If you value precision, clarity, and control over your health, ordering your own labs through me is the smartest way to do it.

✔ Capture a complete, simultaneous snapshot of your health
✔ Get high-resolution, detailed data rather than a blurry, low-information picture
✔ Avoid the insurance trap and save money on lab testing

If you’re interested in ordering your own labs or have questions about which panels are right for you, let’s talk. I can help you choose the right tests and ensure you’re getting the best possible insight into your health—at the best possible price.