Just because you’re convinced you need a blood test doesn’t mean you can get one. I’m Amy E. Feldman.
People think they can just walk into a lab and get tested for COVID-19 or any other health concern they have—but that’s not necessarily the case. Direct Access Testing is when a consumer self-orders labwork without having gone to a healthcare provider to get a script for it.
There has been a great deal of debate over direct access testing because many providers worry that patients will get unnecessary, expensive tests that insurance may or may not cover and won’t know how to read the results once they get them.
That said, direct access testing is allowed in the majority of states—but Pennsylvania isn’t one of them. You need a script before you can get labwork, although many urgent care clinics have professionals who will provide it and then do the labwork in the same visit.
In New Jersey, consumers can self-order some but not all tests, and in Delaware you can walk right in and get lab tests but remember: just because you did internet research doesn’t make you a doctor so think about getting a second opinion from a real one.
From The Judge Group, I’m Amy E. Feldman for KYW News Radio.
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