How To Get Blood Work In Canada | High Quality Testing Over The Border

How To Get Blood Work In Canada

I always get asked how to get blood work in Canada.

In Canada it's not so simple, as you have to go to your doctor and they have to prescribe you the tests you want.

Even if you tell your doctor you want to pay for them out of pocket, often times they will refuse if they don't think the test is something you need.

In short, it's very difficult to get what you need in Canada.

Even if you do happen to get the tests you need, oftentimes, they need to outsource it to the United States because don't have the resources to do it in Canada.

Most of the tests in Canada are years behind the US as well.

For example, in the US, lipid panels will often show you VLDL and LDL as a default, whereas in Canada if you ask for your VLDL they will probably refuse, or may not even know what you are talking about.

The hormone profiles are often inaccurate in Canada as well, as they utilize assays that are not optimized even optimized for men when they are literally testing men.

For example, if you get an estradiol test, you're probably not going to get a sensitive assay one in Canada, and the result of that will be a false reading on your blood work which could lead to dangerous aromatase inhibitor usage.

High-Quality Testing Over The Border

I get all of my blood work done via Private MD Labs.

Here's the catch, you can't purchase any test on their site with a Canadian credit card.

If you've tried as a Canadian, you've probably been shut down before and noticed that.

There are no LabCorp locations in Canada for you to go get your blood test done at either.

Most Canadians don't even think of this, but what I do and what I would advise you do if you live close to the border is call Private MD Labs on the phone and tell them you want to process a Canadian credit card over the phone and place an order.

While their website won't accept a Canadian credit card, on the phone they'll manually process your credit card and let you order whatever you want.

What you can do from there is schedule your blood draw at whatever the closest LabCorp is to you over the border.

After you pay and schedule an appointment at LabCorp, you can drive over the border to that LabCorp, get your blood drawn, and get your test results in a few days.

That's what I do every time.

Paying Out Of Pocket

Yes you will have to pay out of pocket and you will probably not get reimbursed via your private health insurance (if you have it).

I have insurance and I still opt to pay out of pocket simply because of the massive hassle trying to get a doctor here to prescribe you the tests you want is, and the lack of accurate testing.

Honestly I get angry just thinking about all the times I've been in a doctors office in Canada and asked for a thyroid panel, or a lipid profile, or any other basic health marker and been given a hard time, talked down to, and just been given blatantly incorrect information.

The fact that it happens the majority of the time is f*cking ridiculous and frankly I'm sick of it.

That's just the price I pay for getting what I need when I need it, hassle-free, and getting the quality of tests that I need.

More often than not, in Canada, even if a person gets their tests paid for, it's not a test that has accurate results that are indicative of what that particular hormone is actually at.

If you want to make it easy on yourself, pay the extra money and go to the States for a quality test.

I would advise you do this if you are close to the border and it's feasible for you and your budget.

If you're on a budget, I would recommend at least going for your sensitive assay hormone panels and lipid profiles unless you happen to have access to those testing methodologies here in Canada where you live.

Private MD Labs Discount Code

I have a discount code set up for me that you can use to save 15% on your entire panel via Private MD Labs.

I do not get a commission if you use this code, nor does it benefit me in any way, it simply gives you 15% off of your order when you mention it on the phone.

The code is DC15.

My Recommended Blood Work Panel

The blood panel I generally recommend is the “Male Athletic Anti-Aging Panel.”

It's the most comprehensive panel that I would advise for those who just want a thorough assessment of their health markers.

There are a lot of reasons to go to the States for testing if you can, and I strongly advise you to take advantage of it if you're close to the border.