The LabCorp Experience: Then and Now

[Re-Ride]

Or, LabCorp: You think it was fun last time? Wait until you see what we have in store for you today!

Or. So you miss the Greatest Show on Earth, the now defunct Ringling Bros Barnum and Bailey? No fear LabCorp now operates a Circus in nearly every town available daily and replete with different shenanigans at every show.

Once upon a time well trained LabCorp techs greeted you with a smile. You were in and out in 10 minutes. If by chance the doc wrote the wrong diagnostic code they picked up the phone and got it corrected.

The New Way:

Go on line and create an account. Check.

Make an appointment on line. Check.

"Pre Register" by entering your insurance and verifying your address, phone number, puppy's name and favorite treat. Check

Have your doc fax over your lab orders in advance then call to verify they've got them. Check

Show up at your appointment and spend 30 minutes providing all of the "pre-registration" information all over again. Check

Now go over to the neat new Kiosk and enter the same information all over again this time letting it take a your photo and fingerprints after you have inserted your driver's license and your insurance card because the Kiosk isn't smart enough to have captured what the tech entered at his terminal or what you entered on line or what it read from your license or insurance card.

So you think you're ready for a draw? Ha. You have two lab orders from two docs and your P,C. doc would like to have the results as well. Oh My! Lets spend another twenty minutes discussing how we might accomplish resulting all three docs. Check.

Wait a minute. Both docs asked for a CBC! Should we draw twice and repeat the CBC for each doc? You know we have to "because those are the rules."

O.K. sir it will take me 10 minutes to enter these tests in to out computer and print out the forms. I look around. The waiting room is empty. No other patients have come in for the past 45 minutes. I can't imagine why not.

Please sign here , here and here after you read all seven pages and initial all the boxes. Will that be master card or visa?
WHAT!!!

"Yes sir, your co-pay with Medicare and Secondary comes to $1,700. "

Look man, I know Medicare covers CBC, the pee test, my lipid panel and the few other things you've got on there.

"Well they might. Why not call them when you get home?" "I'm happy to do the tests now you just have to pay up front"

"I see. Makes perfect sense... to the bean counter on Pluto perhaps but not me. May I see the computation?"

"Look, these tests are pre-approved!!!"

"Well perhaps, but not all of them are."

'Did you enter the proper diagnostic codes?"

"That's not my job"

I left without any draw at all.

Last week at another location they drew the tubes but somehow "forgot to run the tests"

O.K. It's more than a year since I've managed to pull a set of labs. It's always something different. At this location last year their "system wouldn't accept the test codes." They spent an hour on the phone with the doc who looked up the codes on the labcorp site for the clown yet some labs were still not run. Incomplete series, a complete waste of time.

Blood pressure up from 120/60 to 198/201. Any connection here?

 

[Vince Carter]

Best experience I've had in labcorp, why I stopped using them (one reason I stopped) was walking in with my prepaid slip from discountedlabs as the tech can't muck that up by making incorrect entries and codes.

 

[Vince]

At this point I have not had any issues with LabCorp, I don't make appointment I just try to get there early before they open. The LabCorp by me if you make appointment you still have to wait in line.

 

[busgalloway]

I just did blood-work with them yesterday. My doctor provides me with a blood requisition form after I pay a fee. I can walk-in or make an appointment there I just hand them the form, sign-in on the clipboard, get my blood drawn and leave in less than 3 minutes. I hope I can continue to work like this in the future because I don't like to deal with insurance with something that should be more routine.

I didn't consider it until they asked me if I fasted last time, but I fasted 12 hours before this time and it definitely makes a difference. It probably went twice as fast and is a lot more comfortable. Can't wait to see my results, hope my hematocrit is still at a good level after my first 36 weeks.

 

[Re-Ride]

The quality of the personnel staffing the LabCorp location makes a huge difference as I noted at the top of the post. Those who self pay do not need to worry about diagnostic codes making everything much easier.

Medicare is very good about covering tests where the need is explained which is what the codes are about. Currently a doc who is electronically linked gets instant approval or denial from CMMS when he enters the electronic order. So far so good. Unfortunately his order is only transferred electronically to his own foundation's lab. Therein lies a major glitch for me owing to his foundation's screwy lab computer system, HAL 9000, which the foundation bought at a gov salvage sale. Typically I fast, show up only to find the orders have been "released" "Sorry Dave I can't do that". Not a problem if I don't mind going hypoglycemic waiting 4 or 5 hours for the head of the lab to locate the doc and have him reenter the orders. On a good day, say one in ten, HAL might accept the new orders.

Alt Fix #1: By-Pass HAL: ( sort of ). Bring an old fashioned paper Rx to the foundation's lab. The foundation's lab personnel are now tasked with the joy of dealing with HAL on their terminal. It's a tedious process. Guess who they take their frustration out on?

Alt Fix #2: Take the paper Rx to LabCorp. Enter Benji, our local LabCorp tech. Yesterday's events highlight Benji's limitations. In prior post's I've discussed driving 200 miles to a LabCorp location previously known to me to be staffed by qualified people. All seemed to go well. One month goes by and no results. An inquiry yields the claim "you were never here or you'd be logged in on our system".

After weeks of investigating and being transferred to LabCorp idiots across the nation it turns out the tubes were sent to L.C's equivalent of a Dead Letter Office in San Diego "because my local foundation doctor wasn't "on their system" . Although I've been getting labs at Labcorp for 30+ years Labcorp's HAL 9001 said I did not exist either even though I have a Bacon account. No human employee of Labcorp could be bothered to look at the original Rx and call the doctor.

An overview of the multiple facets of LabCorp bizarre can be found by reviewing several years posts here. If I only required hormone labs no doubt I would simply go the self order self pay route. Could it be that LabCorp's unique ability to merge human, data, processing and procedural errors are part of a profit driven plan to focus on it's consumer paid business while seeking to abandon its insurance covered business?

 

[blackebob]

I love a good smart ass, you make me feel like I am not alone. I hate Lab Corp.

Thank you I needed that today.

 

[OMI100]

Hmmmmm
My last draw from my Thyroid Doc (he put it in electronically) I had to sign the same pile of paper.
Give them the CC to be used if insurance did not pay.
Got a bill for $15 or so...
Figured the CC would be used to cover the short fall from insurance.
Fast forward to last Friday and a prepaid order from Discountedlabs.
"Houston we have a problem".
System will not let them process the order and draw for the prepaid order from Discountedlabs until I paid the balance.
WTF?
Paid the balance with the same CC I gave them to cover the shortfall with.
Hmmmm
Now based on your fun times I will ck my CC and make sure I did not get double billed....
I also noticed that when I was having fun with my kidney stone that the hospital took my insurance card and processed my visit and ended up with statement that listed insurance payouts and balance due.
Had to give them my CC to move to the next step.
Sounds like they are all tapping into the insurance network, etc. and trying to minimize non-paying customers....

 

[Re-Ride]

Orrin, This industry uses state of the art computers and programming along with cross-provider information sharing only to track consumer accounts. What is their incentive to insure efficient delivery of a quality product?

edit: Collecting a CC "to cover a potential insurance coverage shortfall" is something new. Not consistent with providing care to Medicare-Medicaid patients. Tests are pre-approved by Medicare and many of these pt's do not have a CC.

Another issue is that when tests are pre-paid by the pt as in the case of DiscountLabs requisition it would seem to me that denying the pre-paid service because of a balance on an unrelated account is a violation of law.

The consumer is always entitled to unconditionally get what he has paid for. Period. An analogy would be the customer who purchases a pre-paid Visa card and then is denied access to those funds "because the system locates an outstanding debt on a conventional Visa line of credit."

I do believe Orrin that your experience warrants filing a complaint against LabCorp with your local or state Department of Consumer Affairs.

 

[jdthoosier]

At this point I have not had any issues with LabCorp, I don't make appointment I just try to get there early before they open. The LabCorp by me if you make appointment you still have to wait in line.

Ditto for me. Quick in and out w/o an appointment, and with my pre-authorization form from Defy.

 

[Re-Ride]

Ditto for me. Quick in and out w/o an appointment, and with my pre-authorization form from Defy.

JD you are paying cash and not using insurance. Thanks for sharing your experience although it would seem not relevant to Labcorp customers who use insurance or those cash customers like Orrin whose prepaid requisition was refused or to anyone at all who does not have a CC or wish to give Labcorp a blank check.

 

[jdthoosier]

JD you are paying cash and not using insurance. Thanks for sharing your experience although it would seem not relevant to Labcorp customers who use insurance or those cash customers like Orrin whose prepaid requisition was refused or to anyone at all who does not have a CC or wish to give Labcorp a blank check.

Any insurance draws are done at my PCP's office. They take care of the insurance. Granted, I've yet to have to go to Labcorp directly for any insurance draws. Maybe then my experience would be radically different.

 

[Re-Ride]

Any insurance draws are done at my PCP's office. They take care of the insurance. Granted, I've yet to have to go to Labcorp directly for any insurance draws. Maybe then my experience would be radically different.

Exactly. It is in the interest of everyone, regardless of how they pay for care, that Labcorp and the industry as a whole is held to the bar of ethical law abiding conduct. Blackmailing a patient as was done to Orrin is not acceptable. Everyone has the right to know their exact out of pocket expense in advance for lab tests.


What has changed is the evermore brazen acts of corporate America to disregard the law commensurate with their DC friends' backdoor door approach to disemboweling not only the Affordable Care Act but Medicare, Medicaid , the Public Health Service Act and the Ryan White Care Act as well.

 

[OMI100]

My local DRs do blood draws in office. No issues there.
I see a DR about 2 hrs from where I live and I used to take the paper lab request to my local LabCorp blood draw site.
He just recently got hooked into the LabCorp electronic order method, so my last labs were loaded by his office into the LabCorp system for my last blood work for him.
My local LabCorp site has a tech that is excellent for drawing blood, so I try to have her take my blood when I go in.
I try to use LabCorp for all my "OWN" ordered test, so have been going at least every month to check this and that.
When the glitch popped up it was only for a few $'s so no biggie for me.
Next time I go I will ask my tech friend what the deal is, as this was the FIRST time this happened.
In the past I have received bills in the mail for any "short falls", so something has changes.

 

[Re-Ride]

Orrin, Yep, the "something that has changed" is noted in #12 above. When the shoe is... the corp will take 1 maybe 2 seconds to announce "That's a sista company, nothing to do with us".

From an accounting perspective your pre-paid lab order is a different account, different customer. Few $ or not it is still extortion to demand payment on an unrelated customer/account as a condition to perform on their obligation per the pre-paid voucher.

You complied with the terms of your purchase agreement? If so a refusal to perform conditional upon a new arbitrary requirement ( paying off an unrelated debt ) constitutes breech. It's onerous because they engaged in illegal collection activity as well as violated the state code of business ethics. You can likely complete an on-line consumer complaint in a few minutes.

Most private parties are ethical. "I owed them $15. Paying them is the right thing to do". Corps actively play on those feelings on their tireless march to undo every consumer right that has been enacted. Reminds me of a recent case where an 88 year old grandmother went in to cardiac arrest after receiving a call from an "ambulance company looking for next of kin" .

The nephew, riding his bike some years back, had been hit by a negligent car. He had sustained only a few scratches and bruises. The investigating policeman cited the driver and told the victim he was calling an ambulance. Knowing that he would be hit for $1,500 bill the victim declined stating he'd take a taxi instead. The cop called the ambulance anyway; he had a kickback deal. The victim declined both the look over and the expensive ride. They sent him a $1,500 bill anyway which he rightfully protested.

The ambulance company victimized the accident victim then went on to victimize his granny years later. As we consumers continue to shrug off these infractions we hasten the day of return to the 1920's where everything from collections to evictions is handled by thugs with metal pipes.

 

[lenny]

Wow, that sucks. I've had no issues with LabCorp so far… I've been to see them twice now through DiscountedLabs, at two different locations in Houston. Both times I went in, I had no appointment, no wait, and no hassle.

 

[FeelingLost]

Man Re-Ride that is one sad and flustrating story. Is there not another lab you could go to?
Although not as good as my PCP's LabCorp tech the general labcorp here is Denver is pretty good.
I hand them the Defy pre paid blood test order. 8-12 vials are taken and 10-12 days later I get results.

I've had the same experience using Nelson's Discountedlabs and LabCorp.

 

[Re-Ride]

F.L. Thanks for posting your stack and congrats on the great results! Finding a way to add Cialis, Doxy and L Norvaline is a goal.

I learned today that the foundation just hired a human interface. I had the honor of speaking with him. His name is Hal. A hilarious coincidence or proof I exist inside the Matrix. Hal appears to be far more on top of things and willing to help than Labcorp's Benji who looks like his namesake absent his calling. The foundation has never asked for pre-payment or billed beyond what Medicaid pays on those occasions that HAL 9000 has been cooperative. In spite of the foundation's failings and prior questionable results this could be a positive development.

 

[DragonBits]

Labcorp new policy, just wanted to update the forum. I recently got this email.

"
Thank you for choosing LabCorp. As requested, laboratory test results have been delivered to your LabCorp Patient Portal inbox.

LabCorp is now permitted to provide patients in all states with direct access to laboratory test results without physician authorization. As an enhanced service, LabCorp will deliver your historical laboratory test results (from dates of service as far back as November 15, 2011) to your patient portal account through LabCorp Patient Portal. You may receive multiple e-mails advising you of the availability of these laboratory test results. Please sign in here using your member credentials to view your historical laboratory test results.
Please do not reply to this message. This e-mail is automatically generated and replies to this e-mail address are not read.

LabCorp Patient Portal transmits certain e-mail notifications to patients who have requested this notification service. If you wish to change your notification setting, please sign in here to change your preferences."

 

[mooseman109]

Man, I love my Lab corp. Ladies know me by name. I slide driver license in the little machine press 2-3 buttons and sit down. If it is 7-8am there will be a line. I get there before 7 with coffee and donuts and I am first in. Usually out by 7;20.

 

[DxHypo]

LabCorp is a mixed bag for me. Their new check-in kiosks are great. I've had recurring issues with them not drawing enough blood to complete a test- mainly the sensitive estradiol test. I also had an issue in December with two sensitive estradiol test results showing big discrepancies. The first test came back as not performed due to not drawing enough blood. I went back to retest, then got two results- the original test result mysteriously showed up with a reading of 63. Then the restest showed up with a reading of 19. WTF??!!