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Using online labs it's super cheap to get it done yourself for less than $50/test. Not worth dealing with insurance BS and your doctor's likely nonsensical ravi

Using online labs it's super cheap to get it done yourself for less than $50/test. Not worth dealing with insurance BS and your doctor's likely nonsensical ravings about it, just do it and reimburse using your HSA if you have one.

kmonsen 6y ago
Do you have some online labs you can recommend?
- exhilaration 6y ago
  I paid $47 for this: https://www.lifeextension.com/lab-testing/itemlc081950/vitamin-d-25-hydroxy-blood-test https://www.lifeextension.com/lab-testing/itemlc081950/vitam... You get a doctor's prescription (from a Florida doctor, good for anywhere in the country) and instructions to go to your nearest Labcorp for a blood draw. So make sure you have a Labcorp near you. Here are a few alternatives you can look into, mentioned in this discussion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15868143 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15868143 [0]: https://www.privatemdlabs.com https://www.privatemdlabs.com [1]: http://www.directlabs.com/ http://www.directlabs.com/ [2]: https://www.walkinlab.com/ https://www.walkinlab.com/ [3]: https://www.health-tests-direct.com/ https://www.health-tests-direct.com/ [4]: https://www.personalabs.com/ https://www.personalabs.com/
  - icelancer 6y ago
    Yeah these all use basically the white labeled services behind them, and are all more or less good. Don't want to endorse any of them but I use one in the footnotes.
read_if_gay_ 6y ago
Since it’s dirt cheap and basically impossible to take too much of, just skip the tests and take supplements preemptively.
- exhilaration 6y ago
  This submission from a few weeks back argued that it is very possible to take too much: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24261948 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24261948
- icelancer 6y ago
  This is definitely not true. Elevated blood calcium and creatinine levels are definitely possible if you take too much, and people are sensitive at different rates.
  - perl4ever 6y ago
    I tried taking some Vitamin D alone, and I rapidly got a very uncomfortable sensitivity in my teeth. I thought maybe this has something to do with what it does to calcium. So I tried a combination calcium + Vitamin D capsule, and it didn't seem to have the same effect. Maybe the second one is safe, but I'm wondering what was going on and if there are potential drawbacks to either one.
    - stjohnswarts 6y ago
      That's weird I've been taking vitamin D (2000iu) per day and haven't had anything like that. I do get lots of calcium though via cheese and dairy products (I'm one of the few people I know that will actually drink a glass of milk fearlessly)
organsnyder 6y ago
$50/test is a significant cost for many people (many of whom don't have HSAs).
- nitrogen 6y ago
  Yes, but it's still cheaper than the much higher price a major lab might try to charge your insurance, plus the price of a doctor visit.
- icelancer 6y ago
  Cost of doctor visit + cost of inflated test (likely not covered or runs up against your deductible) > paying for it yourself. If you want to argue that the American healthcare system is messed up and that they don't believe in agency for individuals to order their own tests and do their own research, I'm with you. But we live in the reality we got, so... just kinda is how it is.

kmonsen 6y ago

Do you have some online labs you can recommend?

exhilaration 6y ago
I paid $47 for this: https://www.lifeextension.com/lab-testing/itemlc081950/vitamin-d-25-hydroxy-blood-test https://www.lifeextension.com/lab-testing/itemlc081950/vitam... You get a doctor's prescription (from a Florida doctor, good for anywhere in the country) and instructions to go to your nearest Labcorp for a blood draw. So make sure you have a Labcorp near you. Here are a few alternatives you can look into, mentioned in this discussion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15868143 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15868143 [0]: https://www.privatemdlabs.com https://www.privatemdlabs.com [1]: http://www.directlabs.com/ http://www.directlabs.com/ [2]: https://www.walkinlab.com/ https://www.walkinlab.com/ [3]: https://www.health-tests-direct.com/ https://www.health-tests-direct.com/ [4]: https://www.personalabs.com/ https://www.personalabs.com/
- icelancer 6y ago
  Yeah these all use basically the white labeled services behind them, and are all more or less good. Don't want to endorse any of them but I use one in the footnotes.

read_if_gay_ 6y ago

Since it’s dirt cheap and basically impossible to take too much of, just skip the tests and take supplements preemptively.

exhilaration 6y ago
This submission from a few weeks back argued that it is very possible to take too much: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24261948 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24261948
icelancer 6y ago
This is definitely not true. Elevated blood calcium and creatinine levels are definitely possible if you take too much, and people are sensitive at different rates.
- perl4ever 6y ago
  I tried taking some Vitamin D alone, and I rapidly got a very uncomfortable sensitivity in my teeth. I thought maybe this has something to do with what it does to calcium. So I tried a combination calcium + Vitamin D capsule, and it didn't seem to have the same effect. Maybe the second one is safe, but I'm wondering what was going on and if there are potential drawbacks to either one.
  - stjohnswarts 6y ago
    That's weird I've been taking vitamin D (2000iu) per day and haven't had anything like that. I do get lots of calcium though via cheese and dairy products (I'm one of the few people I know that will actually drink a glass of milk fearlessly)

organsnyder 6y ago

$50/test is a significant cost for many people (many of whom don't have HSAs).

nitrogen 6y ago
Yes, but it's still cheaper than the much higher price a major lab might try to charge your insurance, plus the price of a doctor visit.
icelancer 6y ago
Cost of doctor visit + cost of inflated test (likely not covered or runs up against your deductible) > paying for it yourself. If you want to argue that the American healthcare system is messed up and that they don't believe in agency for individuals to order their own tests and do their own research, I'm with you. But we live in the reality we got, so... just kinda is how it is.