How Much Does a Blood Test Cost?

A single blood test can cost anywhere from $10 to over $1,000 depending on what's being measured and where the blood is drawn. According to CMS data, the most common lab tests are surprisingly affordable — a CBC averages about $36 and a comprehensive metabolic panel about $60 — yet patients are routinely billed hundreds or even thousands of dollars when hospitals mark up these same tests by 5–10x or more.

How Much Do Common Blood Tests Cost?

Blood test pricing varies widely, but CMS data gives us a reliable baseline for the most frequently ordered panels and individual tests:

• Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CPT 80053): Measures 14 substances including glucose, electrolytes, kidney function, and liver enzymes. Over 27 million Medicare services per year with an average submitted charge of about $60. This is one of the most commonly ordered lab panels at annual checkups.
• Complete Blood Count with differential (CPT 85025): Measures red blood cells, white blood cells, hemoglobin, and platelets. Over 26 million Medicare services per year with an average submitted charge of about $36. It's often the first test ordered to evaluate infections, anemia, and many other conditions.
• Lipid Panel (CPT 80061): Measures total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, and triglycerides. Over 17 million Medicare services per year with an average submitted charge of about $91. Routinely ordered for cardiovascular risk assessment.
• TSH — Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (CPT 84443): The standard screening test for thyroid disorders. Average submitted charge around $50–$80.
• Blood draw / venipuncture (CPT 36415): The act of drawing blood itself, separate from the actual tests. Over 40 million Medicare services per year with an average submitted charge of about $19. This is often listed as a separate line item on your bill.

Note that these are individual test costs. A typical lab order might include several panels and individual tests, and the total adds up quickly — especially if each is marked up significantly from the Medicare rate.

Why Blood Test Costs Vary So Much

The biggest factor in blood test pricing is where the blood is drawn and processed. The same CBC that costs $15 at an independent lab like Quest Diagnostics or Labcorp can be billed at $150–$400 when drawn at a hospital outpatient facility.

Key factors driving variation include:

• Hospital lab vs. independent lab: Hospital labs charge facility fees that can inflate the cost of routine blood work by 5–10x. The same test, processed on the same type of machine, costs dramatically less at an independent reference lab
• In-network vs. out-of-network lab: If your blood is sent to an out-of-network lab without your knowledge, you may be responsible for the full billed amount
• Panel vs. individual tests: A lipid panel (CPT 80061) bundles four tests together. If those same four tests are billed individually instead of as a panel, the total can be significantly higher — this is a form of unbundling
• Specialty or esoteric tests: Routine panels are inexpensive, but specialized tests like genetic panels, autoimmune markers, or cancer tumor markers can cost $500–$5,000+

With Insurance vs. Without Insurance

With insurance, routine blood work ordered during a preventive visit (annual physical) is typically covered at $0 under ACA preventive care requirements. This includes standard panels like the CBC, CMP, and lipid panel. However, if the blood work is ordered for a diagnostic reason (investigating symptoms), it's subject to your deductible and cost-sharing. Many patients are surprised to get a bill for blood work they assumed was "covered" because it was coded as diagnostic rather than preventive.

Without insurance, the gap between what independent labs charge and what hospitals charge is at its widest. Quest Diagnostics and Labcorp both offer direct-to-consumer pricing: a CMP might be $29–$49 and a CBC $25–$39. Hospital pricing for the same tests can be $200–$600+. If you're uninsured, always use an independent lab when possible.

How to Lower Your Blood Test Cost

• Ask for the cash/self-pay price: Independent labs offer transparent pricing that's often cheaper than your insurance copay, especially if you haven't met your deductible
• Use an independent lab instead of a hospital lab: Quest Diagnostics, Labcorp, and regional independent labs charge a fraction of hospital prices for identical tests
• Use our Medicare Rate Lookup tool as a benchmark: If your blood work bill seems high, look up the Medicare rate for each CPT code to see what a fair price should be
• Verify the billing codes: Check that panel tests (CMP, CBC, lipid panel) are billed as panels, not as individual unbundled components
• Ask your doctor to code it as preventive: If your blood work is part of routine screening and you're within the recommended guidelines, it should be coded as preventive to be covered at $0
• Check for duplicate charges: If you had multiple blood draws or tests repeated, verify each charge is legitimate and not a duplicate billing error

Want to check if your blood test bill is fair? Use our Medicare Rate Lookup tool to see what Medicare pays for each test, or upload your bill for a full analysis including unbundling detection.

Where This Data Comes From

Cost data shown on this page comes from two public CMS datasets: the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (what Medicare reimburses) and the Medicare Provider Utilization & Payment Data (what providers actually charge, based on 100% of Medicare fee-for-service claims). The map above shows average submitted charges by state from the 2023 utilization dataset.

These figures represent Medicare data only and may not reflect prices for commercially insured or uninsured patients. Use our Medicare Rate Lookup tool to search for any procedure.