Cost and access
Same Blood Test, Very Different Hospital Bills
Published hospital cash prices for common labs swing by tens of times. A Healiam panel is one posted price for 50+ measurements — a different product, and a simpler bill.
Healiam·October 12, 2026·2 min read
The same lab test can leave the hospital with very different cash prices. GoodRx Research compared price lists from 15 U.S. hospitals between December 2020 and March 2021. The gaps are large enough that “what a blood test costs” is not one number.
| What was priced | Figure | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| HbA1c, lowest hospital cash price | $14 | 15 U.S. hospitals, Dec 2020–Mar 2021 (GoodRx Research) |
| HbA1c, highest hospital cash price | $665 | Same hospitals. About a 47× gap, and a $651 spread. |
| Basic metabolic panel, lowest | $24 | Same GoodRx hospital set |
| Basic metabolic panel, highest | $1,275 | About a 53× gap, and a $1,251 spread. |
| Lipid panel, median hospital cash price | $84 | JAMA Network Open, Jiang, Makary & Bai, 2021 data |
| Comprehensive metabolic panel, median | $108 | Same JAMA analysis |
| TSH, median | $87 | Same JAMA analysis |
| CBC with differential, median | $58 | Same JAMA analysis |
| Those four medians, added together | ≈ $337 | $84 + $108 + $87 + $58. A sum of separate medians, not one hospital’s bill. |
| Healiam panel | $94.99 | 50+ measurements in one panel. An at-home draw is an additional $40 where offered. |
Read the comparison carefully
The ≈ $337 figure is the sum of four median hospital cash prices. The median is the middle of that set, not the most expensive bill. Healiam’s $94.99 is one posted price for a broader panel, not a claim that it is the same four hospital tests at a discount. The bars are useful because they show how wide hospital cash prices are, and that a preventive panel can be priced up front.
Two routes to the numbers
The hospital route often means an appointment, a clinician’s order, a lab visit, a wait, and then the bill. Those steps vary by provider. The Healiam route is shorter: visit a health fair or book an at-home draw, give a small blood sample, and view results in about 4–5 business days. No referral and no insurance are required. HSA cards are accepted.
Sources
- GoodRx Research — cash prices from 15 U.S. hospitals’ price lists, December 2020–March 2021. Gaps and ratios are calculated from the reported prices.
- JAMA Network Open — Jiang, Makary & Bai, 2021. Median hospital cash prices. The four-test total is the sum of those medians.
- Healiam — panel price, measurements, and turnaround
This article is for educational purposes and does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Results should be interpreted in the context of your individual health and, when appropriate, discussed with a licensed healthcare professional. Healiam testing and result delivery do not replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.