Cost of STD Testing Without Insurance

Paying the cost of STD testing without insurance probably doesn’t seem very enticing. However, when you consider the cost difference between paying with insurance and testing from home without insurance, you may change your mind.

Why Insurance Isn’t the Best Option

First, it’s important to understand why you may not want to pay for your STD tests with insurance (even if you are lucky enough to have any).  You see, insurance is a good security blanket. Unfortunately, it exposes you more than you realize. When insurance covers your STD tests, you do pay less upfront.  However what you may not realize is that your results get reported back to the company. The insurance company then shares those results with its affiliates. It also reports the results to the Medical Information Bureau (MIB) database. Ultimately, this can cause your cost of coverage to increase.  As you can see, you end up paying more in the end. To top things off, this option leaves you with far less privacy.

Now that you know why insurance is not necessarily your best testing option, what are your other options?

The Cost of STD Testing Without Insurance at the Clinic

What may come to mind first is the clinic.  You should know however, that going to clinics or doctors’ offices without insurance can become quite expensive. Sure, some clinics provide a “free” screening; however, not everyone qualifies for this freebie. If you do qualify, you often only get a single free test before needing to pay for any additional tests out-of-pocket.  Paying for all of these tests out-of-pocket can add up very quickly. The truth is, to truly know the status of your health you need to be testing for multiple infections. This is especially true since many sexually transmitted diseases do not show any symptoms. You need to test for them in order to be diagnosed and treated.

The Cost of STD Testing Without Insurance From Home

If it seems like you’re running out of options, don’t worry!  We’ve saved the best for last. At myLAB Box, we realize that the cost of STD testing without insurance is a barrier for some people’s ability to take care of their health.  This is why our at home testing options are designed to be affordable without the need for insurance. In fact, you can test for the most common STDs from the comfort of home for only about half the cost of STD testing without insurance at clinics and other medical facilities. That said, you still receive the same lab-certified results that you would receive at those other facilities.

Not only that, your results will remain private as well. With myLAB Box, there is no risk of your testing data information being shared with your health insurance provider or the MIB database. You receive your results from a secure and confidential portal online. No one else has to know.

To help further, myLAB Box does accept most Flexible Savings Account (FSA) and Health Savings Accounts (HSA) payment cards as well.  To use your card, simply order your test as you normally would with any other payment method.

Testing at Home: How It Works

It may make you feel even better to know how simple and convenient the whole process is. Here’s how it works:

• Order a home testing kit (You even get free shipping!)
• Collect a sample using the easy-to-follow instructions.
• Send the sample off for testing. (More free shipping!)
• Receive your lab-certified results online in just days.

Test for Multiple Infections At Once

If you find out that you were exposed to a particular infection, you can test for that infection individually. Tests are available for the most common STDs, including syphilis, genital herpes, HIV, chlamydia and gonorrhea, Hep C and more.

However, as we mentioned above, you should test for multiple infections in order to fully know your status. To combat having to pay for each test separately, myLAB Box has designed special combination panel kits that allow you to test for all of the most common infections from the comfort of your home by using a single sample set.

• Safe Box: this 4-panel test kit screens for these top risks: HIV, Chlamydia, Gonorrhea and Trichomoniasis
• Uber Box: this 8-panel test kit screens for genital herpes, HIV (I & II), Hepatitis C, Herpes Simplex Type II, Syphilis, Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, and Trichomoniasis.
• Total Box: this comprehensive 14-panel test screens for HIV (I & II), Hepatitis C, Herpes type-II, Syphilis, Chlamydia (genital, throat, rectal), Gonorrhea (genital, throat, rectal), Trichomoniasis and Mycoplasma genitalium. Women who are 30 years of age and older can add the option to test for HPV as well.

The bottom line is that you don’t need insurance in order to take control of your health. With myLAB Box, you have all the tools you need to stay happy and healthy regardless of your financial situation. As we like to say: don’t stress, just test!

Reviewed by Luis Ferdinand M. Papa, MD, MHA