Need immunization records/titers but no health insurance

[ItsLupus]

So this is my year of being a bum before medical school and I have no health insurance.

I need a whole bunch of antibody titers and immunization documentation before I can start med school in august. What's the best (read:cheapest) way of getting this done.

Thanks SDN.

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[psipsina]

You can call your school and ask them if you can wait for your school insurance to kick in this summer.

 

[DocMcCoy]

I had to pay out of pocket as well. Some county clinics may offer the immunizations at a reduced rate. My undergrad health center gave me a list of places to go and I saved about a 100 bucks. Titers aren't cheap, any lab work is going to be expensive hopefully someone has some better advice for you on what to do for this. I don't know what your school requirements are, but the only titer that was needed by my school was for chicken pox, and if you can prove through med records that you have had it before you don't need to pay for it. Do you need a Hep titer?

 

[ItsLupus]

I'm looking at Einstein and they want all of these:

___  Complete Blood Count    (CBC )
 ___  Chemistry Profile
 ___  Liver Function Panel
 ___  Measles IGG Antibody  Titer
 ___  Mumps IGG Antibody  Titer
 ___  Rubella IGG Antibody  Titer
 ___  Varicella IGG Antibody  Titer   (Chicken Pox titer)
 ___  Hepatitis B Surface  Antigen titer
 ___  Hepatitis B Surface  Antibody titer

 

[rxlea]

There are places to get them for free. Community clinics and what not. Otherwise, some schools have some sort of immunization day or something.

 

[teenmachinery1]

I'm looking at Einstein and they want all of these:

___  Complete Blood Count    (CBC )
 ___  Chemistry Profile
 ___  Liver Function Panel
 ___  Measles IGG Antibody  Titer
 ___  Mumps IGG Antibody  Titer
 ___  Rubella IGG Antibody  Titer
 ___  Varicella IGG Antibody  Titer   (Chicken Pox titer)
 ___  Hepatitis B Surface  Antigen titer
 ___  Hepatitis B Surface  Antibody titer

WOW $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

can i get an advance payment for when i'm a doctor and will be making some money?

 

[ItsLupus]

There are places to get them for free. Community clinics and what not. Otherwise, some schools have some sort of immunization day or something.

the problem is that they want proof of immunity (titers). They said vaccination records are not good enough

 

[TexasMDtobe]

Just because you are uninsured doesn't mean you can't get a good deal.

Call around to different doctors and labs (you'll probably need a physician's order to get the lab work done) to get prices and see how flexible they are in dealing with self-pays. There should be substantial wiggle-room in the charges, as nobody pays sticker price for these things (especially not the insurance companies). The fact you need so much blood work done plays in your favor in this instance, as it'll be easier for them to cut you a deal on 9 lab tests than on just a single test.

Look for a large integrated primary care practice, so that you can combine the charges for the primary care doc, the pathologist, and the lab facility into a lump sum and then push for a 40-50% discount by paying in full at the time of service. I do this with the selfpay patients at my hospital all the time, the key to the discount being the payment in full (of the discounted price) at time of service. The price of the medical service is whatever the provider can get (within reason).

Every practice may not be open to this, but look around and you'll find someone willing to do business with you.

 

[Bacchus]

I'll add, make sure you know what kind of titer your school wants. The last thing you need is to get a qualitative titer (just says you're immune) when the school wants a quantitative titer (amount of Ab/blood volume). The office isn't going to redo the test for free if it gets screwed up.

 

[babycheeks]

My titers and shots cost me 300 dollars at a lab center I paid out of pocket.

 

[Neuronette]

I don't mean to sound pessimistic but Yeah, getting titers without Health insurance is going to mean paying lots of $$$$$.
I know a friend who has to pay close to $600 for lab titers for full immunization bloodwork (varicella, MMR, Hep B, rubella etc)
...ahhh being a Premed is costly! :/

 

[DISCOSTEW]

I don't mean to sound pessimistic but Yeah, getting titers without Health insurance is going to mean paying lots of $$$$$.
I know a friend who has to pay close to $600 for lab titers for full immunization bloodwork (varicella, MMR, Hep B, rubella etc)
...ahhh being a Premed is costly! :/

call and see if you can wait to get school insurance. Most schools just need the titers and stuff before you can see patients in the clinics/hospitals, not really for lecture and whatnot

 

[Raryn]

If you're near your med school, ask them if you can just use their occupational health office. They may just run them all for free.

 

[y123]

I got all the Titers and immunizations I needed by ordering from this company: LabReqs www.labreqs.com. Ordered testing online and got orders emailed to me. Got results within 24 hours after I went to lab.

Here are prices I found.

$45 for varicella titer
$69 MMR titer
$39 Hep B titer

Best prices I found.

Thanks for the info. It is really cheap.
My school told me I could wait until my insurance from the school is effective, which would be some time in September.

 

[drcrispmd]

Find a fqhc that has a sliding pay scale for cash patients. Without income you would qualify for the top slide usually around 90% off. A lot will have this for labs too.

For immunizations go to your county health department.

I know this is an old thread but for future Med students this is helpful.

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