Stand-Alone Labs vs Hospital-Based Services

First and foremost, it is always important to remember that you don’t have to utilize the facilities that your provider would recommend you to for testing. 

 You have the freedom to take charge of your healthcare decisions, and you are allowed to operate as an informed consumer of healthcare. It is often the case that your provider will recommend you to hospital-based service provider, and there can be very high costs plus the amount billed for services when using these hospital-based services. When your provider orders these additional services for your healthcare the first thing you should do is log in to HST Connect and search for these services from PHCS Network participating providers. Quest Diagnostics and Labcorp, for example, are both stand-alone lab facilities that participate in the PHCS Network with locations nationally. They are more likely to accept fair and reasonable pricing for their services, and the costs of services may be lower than the hospital-based service your provider had recommended.

Now that you’ve found a lab-based facility to complete your testing, there are few things that you will need. You will always need a paper copy of the order for testing from your provider. Obtaining one is as simple as asking your provider. Next, when you schedule your appointment with the lab-based facility, be sure to tell them that you are a Liberty HealthShare member and present your Liberty HealthShare ID card to them at the time of your appointment. PHCS Participating providers are more likely to send your bill to Liberty HealthShare directly, saving you time and hassle. Finally, you can always call Liberty HealthShare for assistance throughout this process. If you need help finding a PHCS Network participating lab-based facility near you, want to have a better understanding of what to say when you go for your lab work, or anything in between our knowledgeable and friendly representatives are here to help you!

You don’t need to feel bad about your asking your doctor or provider questions, or for seeking pathways of care that better fit your budget and needs. By exploring your options to utilize stand-alone labs, rather than automatically accepting the facility recommended by your provider, you can ensure that you are maintaining control of your healthcare decisions – some of the most important that you will make! The Liberty HealthShare community is here to empower and support you as we all walk together on the path where faith and healthcare unite! 

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