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| Typical costs: | - For a patient not covered by health insurance an allergy test typically costs $150 to $300 for a consultation with an allergist, plus $60 to $300 total ($3 to $5 per allergen) for the much more commonly used skin prick test, or $200 to $1,000 total ($10 to $20 per allergen) for a blood test known as a RAST test.
- Allergy testing usually is covered by health insurance.
- For patients covered by health insurance, typical out-of-pocket costs involve a co-pay for the doctor's visit. For example, this BlueChoice plan has a co-pay of $20 for a family doctor and $35 for a specialist. And this Aetna plan has a $35 co-pay for testing.
What should be included: | - A skin test involves pricking or scratching the surface of the skin, usually on the back or forearm, and applying suspected allergens. Several suspected allergens usually are tested at once, and if redness or swelling forms at one or more of the sites -- usually within 20 minutes -- that confirms the allergy.
- A blood test, usually done when the patient is taking medication that could interfere with a skin test or has a severe skin condition such as eczema or psoriasis, or has very dark skin, involves taking a blood sample and sending it to a laboratory.
- The American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology has an overview of allergy testing.
Additional costs: | - If testing reveals an allergy, allergy shots, also called immunotherapy, might be recommended. These can cost almost $4,000 for the first year without insurance, but get less expensive in subsequent years as fewer shots are needed. Treatment usually lasts three to five years.
Discounts: | - Some doctors offer a discount for patients not using insurance who pay with cash or a credit card. Discounts can be as high as 35 percent.
Shopping for allergy testing: | - It is important that allergy testing be done by a board-certified allergist because testing results can be affected by the skill level of the practitioner. Board-certified allergists have completed a three-year residency in internal medicine or pediatrics, followed by two to three years of study in allergy and immunology. The American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology offers an allergist locator by zip code. Or call their hotline, 1-800-842-7777 for a referral.
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Material on this page is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice. Always consult your physician or pharmacist regarding medications or medical procedures.
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Article updated January 2009 |
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Recent Posts |
| Amount: $700.00 |
Was expensive...
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| Posted by: foodster in Palo Alto, CA. | Purchased: March, 2007 |
| Medical Center: Palo Alto Medical Foundation | Insurance: Blue Cross |
| I'm pretty it cost me more like $700 when I got my allergy test in 2007. Maybe it cost more because I had a lot of tests? The thing that really sucked was that at that time, Blue Cross (in the very small print) said that there was an $800 maximum benefit each year for inoculations and vaccines, and they categorized allergy tests/shots as "vaccination". So, while the tests got covered, that pretty much ate up the entire benefit, so I ended up spending over $2,000 on shots that first year (first getting 3 shots a week, then 2, then 1 a week, then 1 every two weeks, etc., so lots of shots at first) |
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| Amount: $177.03 |
Allergy test
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| Posted by: Ally in Eugene, OR. | Purchased: July, 2009 |
| Medical Center: Oregon Allergy and Asthma Associates. | Insurance: Blue Cross PPO |
At first, when I saw the bill, I just can't believe the number. The consultations fee was 328.14, and allergy skin prick was 825. I pay 15% of the total fee, which is 177.03. I don't know why the fee can be so expensive and the price seems also higher than above. The doctor looked my skin, and asked some questions and asked nurse did skin prick test. Because of hive, my skin was very sensitive, so I showed a lot of reaction to many things. Finally, doctor asked me to do more blood test.
In generally, I don't think doctor did not give me any treatment and useful suggestion. Her work was not worth that money. |
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| Amount: $1,007.00 |
Allergy Blood Test
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| Posted by: ne in Dallas, TX. | Purchased: August, 2009 |
| Medical Center: Quest Diagnostics | Insurance: Blue Cross |
| I just received the bill from Quest for what I thought was a simple blood test for allergies - the bill is $1007 - my out of pocket is $180. I am extremely upset with my doctor\'s office for not warning how expensive this test was. Also, the test found nothing although I was in the doctors office with eyes nearly swollen shut from allergies. What a waste of money!! |
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| Amount: $2,538.84 |
Allergy Testing
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| Posted by: KPeters in Pembroke Pines, FL. | Purchased: June, 2009 |
| Medical Center: Quest Diagnostics | Insurance: BCBS of NJ |
| My daughter received a perscription for allergy testing from her pediatric pulmonologist due to her frequest asthma attacks, runny nose, skin allergies, etc. Quest drew a few tubes of blood and charged $2,538.84. Insurance paid only $294.25. They gave an additional 'insurance discount' of $1,406.47 and I am being charged $838.12. I was not warned of the cost of the testing. |
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