Does Insurance Cover The Cost of STD Testing?

Does insurance cover STD testing? The more appropriate question may be: do you want to cover STD testing with insurance? True, paying the full cost of STD testing without insurance probably doesn’t seem very enticing. However, when you consider the cost difference between paying for your tests through insurance and testing from home without relying on insurance, you may change your mind.

The truth is this: for many people, paying out-of-pocket for an at home STD test is the best option.

The traditional method of testing for sexually transmitted diseases involves going to the clinic or doctor’s office, most of which accept health insurance plans., Unfortunately, insurance companies will typically cover your first test and the rest are paid out-of-pocket. That can lead to some surprising financial complications. To combat this, many people choose to self-pay for STD testing. 

STD Testing With Insurance

When insurance covers your STD screening, you do tend to pay less upfront. However, in these cases, your results will be made available to your insurance company and their affiliates. The results will also be reported to the Medical Information Bureau (MIB) database. This information can be used to increase your cost of coverage in the future.

Additionally, insurance companies will often not cover preventative STD testing unless you experience symptoms. However, in most cases, preventative testing is absolutely necessary. You see, since most STDs don’t show any symptoms, the only way to know for sure whether you are infected is with proper screening. Furthermore, without the presence of symptoms, it is hard to know exactly what test to take. For a full picture of your sexual health, you should be regularly and routinely tested for all of the most common sexually transmitted infections.

Testing regularly is more important than ever since STDs are far more common than most people realize. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, almost half of Americans will contract a sexually transmitted infection or disease at some point in their lives.

When Privacy Matters

Of course, getting tested through insurance also means that you will likely get a bill for the lab work required to get your results. While this may not be a big deal to some, it may prevent others from getting tested at all.

A lot of people are understandably nervous about testing. Often they are too shy to go to a clinic or doctor’s office in the first place. This is also true for many sexually active teens. For them, the idea that a bill from an STD testing lab might be reported on their parents’ health insurance is terrifying.

Of course, this is still no reason to avoid testing entirely. As an alternative, many young customers (and plenty of older folks, too) ask our customer service team “How much does a STD test cost without insurance?” myLAB Box offers a solution that totally bypasses the need for insurance companies, and results that would alert third parties. This means that your results remain private.

STD Testing: No Insurance

myLAB Box™ At Home STD Test Kit

One of myLAB Box’s core intentions when developing its at home STD testing service was to make sure that every test package is affordable without insurance. Our tests are about half of the out-of-pocket price of most clinics. Not to worry, your results will be the same exact lab-certified results that you would receive from these establishments but they remain confidential and secure instead. There is no risk of your testing data information being shared with your health insurance provider or MIB database.

While insurance can affect pricing and security in a variety of ways, at-home testing from myLAB Box offers fixed, reliable prices. Using this screening method, you will always know the cost of your tests upfront. At myLAB Box, prices are reliable and accurate.

Ultimately, the price of your home testing kit will depend on which test(s) you decide to order. A brief glance at our product page will show you that individual tests for sexually transmitted diseases will cost only $79 each. These tests include the most common infections in the United States, such as syphilis, HIV, chlamydia, gonorrhea, genital herpes (HSV-2) and more.

There’s No Place Like Home

It may make you feel even better to know how simple and convenient the whole process is.

Here’s how it works:

• Order a home testing kit (You even get free shipping!)
• Collect a sample using the easy-to-follow instructions.
• Send the sample off for testing. (More free shipping!)
• Receive your lab-certified results online in just days.

More Testing Options

Regardless of insurance, these prices range remain flat, starting at $79 for a single test. For a more efficient and cost-effective testing option, myLAB Box’s combination testing panels allow you to test for multiple STDs with a single sample set. It’s a great way to track multiple potential infections with minimal effort or cost!

• Safe Box: This 5-panel kit screens for HIV, Chlamydia, Gonorrhea and Trichomoniasis. | $189
• Uber Box: This 8-panel kit screens for HIV (I & II), Hepatitis C, Herpes type-II (HSV-2), Herpes Simplex Type II, Syphilis, Chlamydia, Gonorrhea and Trichomoniasis. | $269
• Total Box: This comprehensive 14-panel test screens for HIV (I & II), Hepatitis C, Herpes type-II (HSV-2), Syphilis, Chlamydia (genital, throat, and rectal), Gonorrhea (genital, throat, and rectal), Trichomoniasis and Mycoplasma genitalium. | $369 ($399 with an HPV option for women who are 30 years of age and older)

We also accept FSA and HSA payment cards. Most people can use these cards by entering the information when checking out, just as they would with any other payment method. These prices also don’t include any potential hidden fees. At a clinic, tests may drive up the price of your insurance premiums. At myLAB Box, the price doesn’t change and doesn’t rely on insurance. Best yet, as we mentioned before, these tests cost about half of the out-of-pocket price found at most medical facilities.

Please reach out to our friendly customer service team while placing your order. We’d love to help you find an affordable testing solution. myLAB Box’s STD testing without insurance is a fantastic option that’s priced to fit any budget.

With STIs and STDs, time is of the essence. View our at home tests here.

Reviewed by Luis Ferdinand M. Papa, MD, MHA