How Much Does A Pap Smear Cost With Insurance? 3 Factors You Should Consider!

How much does a pap smear cost with insurance? The price without insurance ranges between $39 to $125. But if you want to have your health secured, then the insurance might cover your expenses.

Your insurance usually covers pap smears. They may cover the full expense or a portion of it, depending on your insurance company.

how much does a pap smear cost with insurance

Have you been diagnosed to have cervical cancer? Or are you being tested to find out if you have? Your doctor may have suggested you take a pap smear to find out if you have cancer or not. Pap smear may or may not be new to you, but if you are wondering what a pap test is, what do you do in the test and how much it would cost, then you’ll have your answers in your questions with this article.

 

Pap Smear

Pap smear, most commonly called a Pap test, is used to find abnormal cells that may have inhibited your Cervix. These abnormal cells could cause cervical cancer, so you must destroy them before they destroy your body. In addition, the test will show the changes caused by HPV or Human Papillomavirus, a sexually transmitted infection that could lead to genital warts. Pap smear is done on a female and is only done once suggested by your doctor.

 

How Is It Done?

Pap tests may become a part of your regular doctor visit or for your pelvic exam. A metal or plastic speculum is placed into your vagina during the exam. The speculum enables your vagina walls to open a space enough for a small sampler to get to your cervix and get the cell samples.

The sampler will then be sent to a laboratory to be tested. The test could only take a few minutes of your time. You might feel some discomforts, pressure, or sensations related to those when the speculum is inserted then opened inside you, but it’ll take only a few minutes. Be sure to stay still during the test too.

 

Should You Get Tested?

The frequency of testing might vary depending on your medical history, age, and the previous results of your Pap test if you got one before. You could only get Pap tests once every 3 years, and you could start getting yourself tested at the age of 21. When you turn 25, you can already get an HPV test every 5 years together with the pap smear. Although the availability of a Pap test will depend on your area. Some areas could only offer

Pap tests to be done every 3 years’ time.

 

Cost

How much does a pap smear cost with insurance? If you are worried that you’ll have to let out money from your pocket due to these tests, then good news for you. A health care insurance could cover all your expenses for screening tests and vaccines in detecting possible health concerns.

A pap smear is one of the most common tests and is considered to be a part of a woman’s regular visit to the doctor as a preventive measure for cervical cancer. Together with the Pap test, HPV vaccines are also administered completely covered by your insurance.

A pap smear test without insurance could cost from $39 to $125. In addition, pelvic exams and vaccines are not yet included in the price, so if you are thinking of getting a test out of your pocket, make sure to have sufficient funds for the additional costs, which could be over 500 dollars.

 

Factor Affecting The Cost

The cost of taking the test is not the same for all areas. It may be varied by few factors like the lab testing, location of the insurance company, and the location of the health care provider where you will get the test.

 

#1. Lab testing

Since a Pap test sample needs to be examined in a lab, additional charges for the laboratory may be needed. In addition, a lab charge may incur on your bill in instances that you are not insured.

 

#2. Insurance company’s scope location

Since there is no price regulation, the cost of the test may vary depending on the state or city where the company is stationed.

For example, the pap smear test only costs $39 in New York while it costs $65 in Maine.

 

#3. Location of the health care provider

The location of your health care provider will greatly affect your test pricing since not all prices are the same in such areas. For example, it may be based on your income or consult a private OB/GYN where the cost is at a fixed rate.

 

Where To Get Tested?

You could choose a health care provider of your choice, or it will depend on which healthcare providers your insurance company would recommend. The recommended HCP is usually one of your insurer’s affiliates to expect that the rates are lower.

 

#1. Local planned parenthood centers

If you have a local Plan Parenthood Center in your area, they could offer a low-cost pap smear. It is an organization that offers reproductive health care to people without depending on their income.

 

#2. A national cancer detection program centers

A National Cancer Detection Program is a federal program that offers pap smears to uninsured or underinsured women aged 21 to 64. They also offer services depending on your medical needs. On the other hand, learning a master policy in health insurance might come in handy in such situations.

 

#3. Urgent care centers

Urgent Care Centers like City MD offers many reproductive health care services that should get treatments immediately. They would also treat minor illnesses and injuries right away. This choice is best for those who are insured already to cover the possible expenses.

 

#4. Women health care centers

Women Health Care Centers strongly support and promote women’s health care management where they too sometimes have a wide array of doctors and specialists in the field of women’s health care. They also offer preventive care benefits for women such as pap smears.

 

Conclusion

How much does a pap smear cost with insurance? The cost of the test will depend on whether it can be covered by your insurance company as a whole or only a percentage of it. Depending on the insurance type, you might get your tests and exams fully covered. Regardless, you might want to learn what reinsurance is if you have time. That is all.

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