Lab Partners for DPC Practices¶

Quick Summary: Direct-pay lab pricing can save your patients 50-90% compared to hospital pricing. Building relationships with labs is essential for DPC practices.

Lab Partnership Options¶

National Reference Labs¶

Quest Diagnostics¶

DPC-friendly: Yes

Account setup: - Direct physician account available - No minimum volume requirements - Online ordering portal

Pricing: - Negotiated cash pricing for DPC - Often 50-80% less than hospital labs - Volume discounts possible

Patient draw options: - 2,000+ patient service centers - Some offer in-office phlebotomy support - Mobile phlebotomy in some markets

Contact: Quest Diagnostics Physician Services

Labcorp¶

DPC-friendly: Yes

Account setup: - Physician office accounts - Patient pay accounts - Simple enrollment process

Pricing: - Competitive cash rates - Published patient pricing available - Negotiation possible for volume

Patient draw options: - 2,000+ locations nationwide - At-home collection in some areas

Contact: Labcorp Physician Services

Regional Lab Options¶

Check your area for regional labs that may offer: - Better local pricing - Faster turnaround - More personalized service - In-office pickup

Common regional labs: - ARUP (Utah/Mountain West) - Sonic Healthcare (various regions) - BioReference (Northeast) - Clinical Pathology Laboratories (Texas)

Direct-to-Consumer Labs¶

For patient self-ordering (supplement your testing):

In-Office Testing¶

Point-of-care options to reduce lab referrals:

CLIA considerations: - Waived tests require CLIA certificate of waiver - Simple application process - Minimal ongoing requirements

Typical Lab Pricing (Cash Pay)¶

These are approximate ranges - negotiate for your practice:

Your cost = What you might negotiate with volume or DPC account

Setting Up Lab Accounts¶

Quest/Labcorp Process¶

1. Contact physician services
2. Complete application (practice info, NPI, license)
3. Choose billing model:
4. Bill patient directly (they pay at PSC)
5. Bill practice (you markup and collect)
6. Patient pay with negotiated rate
7. EMR integration (if desired)
8. Receive supplies (if doing in-office draws)

Negotiation Tips¶

• Mention DPC specifically - Labs want this volume
• Ask for DPC pricing - Different from standard cash pay
• Discuss volume projections - Even small panels matter
• Request price list - Get it in writing
• Ask about new tests - Get additions at same rates
• Annual review - Renegotiate periodically

Lab Workflow Models¶

Model 1: Patient Pays Lab Directly¶

How it works: - You order test - Patient goes to PSC - Patient pays lab's cash price

Pros: - Simplest for you - No accounts receivable - No markup hassle

Cons: - Less control over pricing - Patient may be surprised by cost - Can't build in convenience

Model 2: You Bill Patient, Pay Lab¶

How it works: - You order test - Patient pays you (at time of order or adds to membership) - Lab bills you - You pay lab

Pros: - Control pricing - Can markup modestly - Bundled patient experience

Cons: - Accounts receivable - Cash flow management - More bookkeeping

Model 3: In-Office Draws, Send Out¶

How it works: - Draw in your office - Courier picks up - Lab runs and bills you

Pros: - Convenient for patients - All-in-one visit - Can do some POCT in-house

Cons: - Phlebotomy supplies/training - Courier coordination - Specimen handling

Presenting Lab Costs to Patients¶

Transparency Approach¶

Provide price list of common tests: - "Here's what we charge for labs" - "Compare to what you'd pay elsewhere" - Emphasize savings

Bundled Approach¶

Include common labs in membership: - Annual wellness labs included - Acute labs at cost - Premium tier with more included

At-Cost Approach¶

Pass through at your cost: - "We don't mark up labs" - Builds trust - May lose some revenue

EMR Integration¶

Most DPC EMRs connect to major labs:

Integration benefits: - Electronic ordering - Results in chart automatically - Fewer phone calls - Better tracking

Specialty Labs¶

When to Use Specialty Labs¶

Cost consideration: Specialty labs are expensive. Use judiciously.

Common Lab Challenges¶

"Why Can't I Use My Insurance?"¶

Explain: - We get you better cash prices - Insurance often pays same or more - No surprise bills - No deductible issues

Patient No-Shows for Labs¶

Solutions: - In-office draws - Strong follow-up - Include in annual visit - Explain importance

Getting Results to Patients¶

Options: - EMR patient portal - Secure messaging - Phone call for abnormals - Scheduled follow-up visit

Related Guides¶

• Lab & Imaging Integration
• Equipment & Supplies Checklist
• Pricing Your Practice

[!TIP] Start with one lab (Quest or Labcorp) and master that relationship before adding complexity. Your patients need convenience more than options.

Good lab partnerships are one of the tangible values you provide. Saving patients hundreds on a simple panel demonstrates the DPC difference.