You went to the doctor, paid your copay… and then a separate lab bill showed up. Why does this happen?

In this episode of Take Care, Melody Mulaik explains why lab work is often billed separately from your doctor’s visit, how insurance companies classify lab services, and why those charges may apply to your deductible instead of your copay.

You’ll learn the difference between preventive and diagnostic lab tests, what questions to ask before getting bloodwork done, and how to check your insurance so you only pay what you truly owe.

This episode helps you make sense of unexpected lab bills and avoid paying more than you need to.

In this episode, Melody discusses:

• 00:00 – Why lab bills often arrive separately from your doctor visit
• 00:41 – Doctor visits vs lab services: why they’re considered different
• 01:37 – How lab companies and outside processing work
• 02:08 – How insurance plans “bucket” lab services
• 03:01 – Copays, deductibles, and how labs are billed
• 03:41 – Preventive labs vs diagnostic labs explained
• 04:28 – When labs during an annual visit become diagnostic
• 05:03 – Asking if your lab is in-network
• 05:53 – Finding out where your labs are sent
• 06:14 – Mixed preventive and diagnostic labs in one visit
• 06:49 – Asking for cost estimates before bloodwork
• 07:29 – Why you should always verify lab bills with your insurance
• 08:00 – Final reminders on validating what you actually owe

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