What blood tests does Dr. Meirleir do?

[Bansaw]

I am seeing Dr. Merileir in June God willing.
I know about the food allergy tests etc, but he says he wants to do "blood tests" that amount to 2500 Euros.

I assume this is just a full panel etc, - is there anything unusual in those blood tests that an insurance company might not cover? (My coverage is worldwide, and they do cover regular blood tests, but in the small print there is a clause where they do not cover DNA blood tests etc.)
So, is Dr. Meirleir's blood tests just a full panel ?

 

[adelheid55]

He does stool tests, normal blood tests for liver, thyroid ( a full panel) etc, immunophenotyping., neurotoxins, proinflammatory cytokines,CD57, bacteria, viruses, mold exposure and a lot more, but a lot of your tests being done is according to your symptoms/problems. Sometimes he looks for SNP's which would be DNA... but this wasn't very expensive and- as I said - this will be tested according to symptoms.

 

[Bansaw]

Thanks, looks like my insurance will cover those.

 

[Sushi]

Thanks, looks like my insurance will cover those.

Make sure that the lab he uses takes your insurance. I took blank lab requistion forms with me a while back as the US lab he was using wasn't taking insurance then. It probably is now though.

 

[Bansaw]

I pay cash then claim back. If labs get the chance to charge insurance direct, they sometimes go wild with the charge. I once had a lab charge $4,000 for some blood tests to my insurance, and when I complained, they said, "oh, we can reduce that charge if you like to under $1,000."
At least thats how some labs int he U.S. do things.

 

[Sushi]

If labs get the chance to charge insurance direct, they sometimes go wild with the charge. I once had a lab charge $4,000 for some blood tests to my insurance, and when I complained, they said, "oh, we can reduce that charge if you like to under $1,000."
At least thats how some labs int he U.S. do things.

Yes, but the insurance companies negotiate with them for that lower price. Sometimes if you pay directly, they won't negotiate with you.

 

[Bansaw]

My insurance is different in that I have "up to" $7000 per year to spend on consults & tests, afterwhich a huge co-pay kicks in. So when they received the charge for $4000, they didn't even inquire about it, they just said, "Ok, thats $3000 you have left this year!"
My doctor here in the US tells me to pay some labs cash direct because its cheaper. Maybe other labs do it different, and your experience is something else.

 

[Belgiangirl]

In Belgium, it isn't paid back by the governmental health care system since the lab tests he does aren't given any recognisatin yet unfortunately. So it is definiteley different than a "normal blood panel" of what we know as one in belgium. He researches very specific things which aren't being lookin at before.
The price here is the same.

Good luck!