TABLE OF CONTENTS

When should I get my labs?

If you inject medicines, get your blood drawn midway between injection days. For example, if your injections are on Tuesday, schedule your blood work for Friday or Saturday. 


If you take tablets, schedule your blood draw approximately six hours after your dose.


If you use a gel, apply the gel away from the inside of your forearm where your elbow bends or get blood drawn in the other arm. Having gel on your skin at the draw site can skew your test results.


How often do I need to get my labs done?

Labs are generally done on a quarterly basis (particularly during your first year on hormones, or if any dose adjustments are being made). We order blood work every 3-4 months in order to monitor how your medication is impacting your body. If any adjustments need to be made along the way, we make those recommendations after reviewing your results. If you are on a stable dose, and it has been at least a year since you started, there may be more flexibility in getting labs less often (if that’s your preference). In this case, you can speak with your medical provider about your lab schedule. 


It is very important to complete your labs and communicate with your Plume care team. If labs are not completed for an extended period of time (usually more than six months), your medical provider will be unable to refill your prescription.  While we never want you to have an undesired lapse in your hormones, our number one priority is to keep you safe. Help us take care of you by staying consistent!


Where do I go to get my labs done?

Labs can be done at any Quest Diagnostics lab site. Labs must be scheduled with Quest Diagnostics to be covered under your Plume membership. If you schedule labs with any third-party Quest center that is not a Quest Diagnostics, your Plume membership does not cover the lab cost. Make sure the facility you choose says “Quest Diagnostics” in its name to ensure your labs are covered! You can find a location near you here.


If you live in Arizona, the Quest facilities are labeled "Sonora Quest Laboratories." In Arizona, please find lab locations with this name to ensure that Plume can cover your labs.


If you live in Oklahoma, there are Quest facilities that are labeled as "Quest Diagnostics" in this state. But you can also go to facilities labeled "Diagnostic Laboratory of Oklahoma."


What if I can’t get to a Quest?

We apologize that there are no Quest Diagnostic locations closer to your area. As Plume is only contracted with Quest, we are unable to accommodate the cost of alternative lab facilities at this time. Your other options are: 


Go to your primary care provider for testing. Your Plume team will provide you with the exact tests that need to be performed and you can bring this information to your primary care provider.

   

Pay out of pocket for testing at an alternative facility

  

Ask your private insurance company to cover your tests. You can try calling the number on the back of your insurance card to speak to a representative. Be sure to have the list of the labs that you will need when you make this call.


All of these options have varying costs. You could pay $100-200 for your quarterly labs, depending on whether you use insurance or not. To guarantee lab payment coverage through Plume, it must be done at a Quest Diagnostics location. You can find a location here.


Do I have to go to Quest Diagnostics to get my labs done?

For your lab fees to be covered, you must have your blood work done through Quest Diagnostics. Plume’s medical providers are more than happy to send lab orders to your preferred lab facility or primary care provider. However, please bear in mind that we are unable to cover the costs of labs via other facilities at this time. You may always use your own private insurance or pay out of pocket for labs done at locations other than Quest Diagnostics. 

 

If your labs are performed at a Quest Diagnostics, the results will automatically be sent to your Plume provider. If your labs are drawn somewhere else, just be sure that the results get sent to Plume. You can do this by requesting that the lab fax the results directly to Plume at  720-815-0227 (or, if that’s not possible, you can send us the results through Spruce).