4 ms·

I paid $47 for this vitamin D test (via blood draw): https://www.lifeextension.com/lab-testing/itemlc081950/vitamin-d-25-hydroxy-blood-test https://www.lifeexte

I paid $47 for this vitamin D test (via blood draw): 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/

panorama 6y ago
These are definitely a step up than what I'm used to and I appreciate the effort put into the reply. I'm still naively hoping there will be a scifi-esque biometric scanner or finger-prick analyzer, as another commenter put it, some day ;)
- njarboe 6y ago
  It would be great to have very easy testing with a pin prick of blood. This dream is what kept Theranos going for so long, but hopefully that scandal does not scare off other people from trying.
caskstrength 6y ago
Why should you even need doctor prescription for something like this? Week ago I just went to nearby lab and asked them to make a blood draw to verify my vitamin D levels and got results same day via email.
- belltaco 6y ago
  Can you tell us which lab? Did you contact them before hand?
  - caskstrength 6y ago
    Sorry for not being clear - I'm not in the US. I was just surprised you need a doctor prescription for something like that.
    - exhilaration 6y ago
      US doctors have a strong political presence through the AMA and maintain a monopoly on nearly every medical procedure, test, and many drugs. It's impossible to get anything without a doctor's prescription and it's usually impossible to get that prescription without a (paid) visit to their office.

panorama 6y ago

These are definitely a step up than what I'm used to and I appreciate the effort put into the reply. I'm still naively hoping there will be a scifi-esque biometric scanner or finger-prick analyzer, as another commenter put it, some day ;)

njarboe 6y ago
It would be great to have very easy testing with a pin prick of blood. This dream is what kept Theranos going for so long, but hopefully that scandal does not scare off other people from trying.

caskstrength 6y ago

Why should you even need doctor prescription for something like this? Week ago I just went to nearby lab and asked them to make a blood draw to verify my vitamin D levels and got results same day via email.

belltaco 6y ago
Can you tell us which lab? Did you contact them before hand?
- caskstrength 6y ago
  Sorry for not being clear - I'm not in the US. I was just surprised you need a doctor prescription for something like that.
  - exhilaration 6y ago
    US doctors have a strong political presence through the AMA and maintain a monopoly on nearly every medical procedure, test, and many drugs. It's impossible to get anything without a doctor's prescription and it's usually impossible to get that prescription without a (paid) visit to their office.