How Much Does Thyroid Blood Test Cost
What is a thyroid blood test? In simplest terms, a thyroid blood test is a medical examination that is primarily done to measure the amount of thyroid hormones, proteins present in the blood, and antibodies. It is also used to diagnose or identify what kind of disorder is affecting the thyroid gland (situated in lower-front of our necks), which is responsible for regulating a number of body processes like energy generation, growth, metabolism, and mood occurrences.
In cases when your doctor asks you to take this health examination, it would be ideal to know the current thyroid test rate. As such, how much does thyroid blood test cost at the present time?
There are times when the screening may be free of charge, but the price of thyroid blood test can reach up to $500 or higher, depending on the specific test you need, your location, and the availability of a health insurance coverage. In most cases, the thyroid blood tests include T3, T4, and Thyroid Stimulating Hormone test or TSH, each having a different price.
Price Ranges of Thyroid Blood Tests
Apparently, the costs of thyroid blood tests greatly depend on your location and whether you are paying using your health insurance or not. To give you an idea on how much you can pay for the thyroid examination, here are the price ranges with and without the coverage of a health insurance.
With Health Insurance
If there is a need for a patient to take the test, then typically, the costs would be covered by your health insurance. But how much does thyroid blood test cost if you have health insurance?
The price of thyroid blood test with insurance coverage may range from $0 to $30 or higher, which has a copay or a coinsurance of 10 to 50 percent of the total cost. You can always ask your insurance provider about this concern.
Without Health Insurance
In situations when you have no health insurance, you should expect that you pay the normal thyroid test rate, which is basically much higher than the prices covered by an insurance. The cost may run from $35 to $500 or more, depending on the specific type of thyroid blood test you need.
Costs of Specific Thyroid Blood Tests
As what has been mentioned before, there are several types of thyroid blood tests that have different prices but still, vary according to the location and provider of the examination.
*T3 Test – The T3, otherwise known as triiodothyronine, is one of the two major hormones produced by the thyroid gland. Together with the T4 hormone or thyroxine, the T3 regulates the metabolism and temperature of the body, as well as, controlling the heart rate. With this, how much does thyroid blood test cost, specifically a T3 test?
– Affordable Lab based in Michigan provides a T3 test for $35
– Accesa Labs, which has branches all over the U.S., charges a price of thyroid blood test around $55 to $99
– Health Testing Centers with branches across the country has a T3 thyroid test rate of $99
How does a T3 test being conducted? According to Healthline, the procedure begins when the medical practitioner takes blood from your body. Once the blood has been drawn, it will be tested in a medical laboratory. You will know the results one to two days after the specimen is collected.
And as a basic reference, the normal range of a T3 test is between 100 and 200 ng/dL (nanograms per deciliter). If for instance, the result is within the normal range, it does not directly imply that your thyroid gland is in perfect condition. The doctor will still require you to take other thyroid blood tests to fully determine the current state of the organ.
*T4 Test – The T4 or thyroxine is the other major hormone that the thyroid gland naturally produces. Just like the T3 hormone, the T4 affects the growth and metabolism of the body.
Moreover, there are two types of T4 test that can be administered to the patient – the free T4 and the total T4 tests. The former measures the free T4 hormones, which have not bonded with the proteins in the blood while the latter determines the level of T4 hormones bonded with the proteins.
When it comes to the costs, how much does thyroid blood test cost for a T4 test? Similarly, the price of thyroid blood test to measure the level of T4 hormones varies from one location to the other. Here is a list of a T4 thyroid test rate.
– Affordable Lab $39 for total T4
$45 for free T4
– Accesa Labs $55 for both free and total T4 tests
– Health Testing Centers $129
The procedures for a T4 test is the same with the T3 test. It will also take one to two days to know the results. And according to Healthline, the normal results of this thyroid blood test range from 4.5 to 11.2 micrograms per deciliter. However, this test alone does not say that your thyroid gland is functioning well. The doctor needs to look at the results of both T3 and TSH tests.
*Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) Test – When doctors require their patients to take a T4 test, the latter will also have to get a TSH test at the same time. But what is this thyroid blood test all about?
A thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) test basically measures the level of TSH in the blood. This is done in circumstances when a person is showing signs of a particular thyroid disorder. The results of this health examination can determine the cause of the disorder and can help the doctors find a way to address such condition.
With this being said, how much does thyroid blood test cost to determine the amount of TSH in the blood? The price of thyroid blood test ranges from $39 to $79, and it is still based on the location and the provider. Here is a thyroid test rate list for a TSH test.
– Affordable Lab $39
– Accesa Labs $57
– Health Testing Centers $79
The three tests are a just some of the types of thyroid blood tests. Doctors may require a patient to get more tests, especially when a certain condition is crucial and needs close monitoring.
