need vaccine titer help!

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Hi for my nursing program we need our titer levels checked for measles, mumps, rubella, hep B, and chicken pox.

The urgent care I went to for my physical could only do hep B. Other urgent cares around here have a no blood drawing policy.

I moved away from my physician and don't have one now. I asked the NP who gave my physical where I could go and she didn't know - she said make the trip to my old hometown.

I looked on line for titer costs and wow it will cost me around $400! I don't have insurance. I was covered under my mom's but when we moved she got a new job and I'm not anymore. (I know I need to get insurance or there's a penalty but my school used to offer insurance and just informed everyone last month that they aren't offering it anymore)

I asked the school nursing secretary where else I could go for titers and she suggested a hospital. But don't I need a physician's prescription??

Anyway I just thought I'd ask for advice for 1. Where should I go, make the trip back to my old physician or where else? and also 2. Does the $400 sound like the right price? I had looked up only one lab company. I have until Oct to get the titer tests done so I don't know if I could get insurance by then or if it even covers this?

Thank you!

P.S. I think I just got the chicken pox vaccine when I was 16 not too many years ago...but the nursing secretary said it wasn't good enough proof and need titers for everything.

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I just found out that the Affordable Care Acts requires that insurance cover your titers as long as your PCP bills them as 'routine.' Might be worth it to get a new PCP for this...

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Specializes in Psychiatry, Community, Nurse Manager, hospice.

I got mine at the university health center. Each one was about $7.

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I got mine at the university health center. Each one was about $7.

You're kidding??? You mean for the titers? I had asked the health center about it and they said they could give the hep B vaccine but it was more money than urgent care. I ended up getting the titer for it anyway.

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There is a hospital in my school's area that gave the titer test for $36 total as long as students in my program provided their school ID. It would be worth asking your school's nursing office if there are hospitals that work with you guys.

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Specializes in Postpartum/Lactation/Nursing Education.

Try your local health department. Call them and check into it. Where I am the health department does immunization clinics but you have to call ahead and make an appointment. You could also check somewhere like Walgreens or CVS clinic. You can also check one of those sites you can order lab tests online like requestatest.com. I used that site to get titers drawn before my MSN practicum started and it was a very simple process. They have an immunity panel (MMR, hep B, varicella) for $139.

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Thank you kidsmom002 and Purple_roses.

Kidsmom002, unfortunately my state isn't included in the list of labs for requestatest. But thank you. I searched more and found one for $189. Much better than the $400+ I saw first!!!

I'm afraid to wait for the Affordable Health care act. I had applied 3 weeks ago and haven't heard from them yet and am actually going to call today. I will check with the hospitals if they give a student discount first though!

Thanks all who replied.

Edit: Wait no I can't find my state. Apparently NJ isn't available besides the $400 one so far...ugh.

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I would definitely concur with the state health dept... and actually when I did mine I found it actually cheaper to go ahead and get the immunizations instead of getting the titers.. plus if any of the titers come in low then you will have to get a booster anyway..

worth a thought..

best of luck.

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Call around local clinics, and the health department. My insurance didn't cover titers, but a local clinic in my area did have a discount for nursing students (so make sure to ask about that). Each titer was half the original price, I ended up paying $116 total and I had to have all the titers you did. That price also included my physical, which was $45 (originally $90).

I don't know how others schools are, but I had to have the titers whether I proved I had the vaccines or not. However, if I passed the titers, they waived the vaccine I was missing proof of (chicken pox).

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I got mine for free along with a TDAP booster When I signed up to volunteer for a local hospital.

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I got mine for free along with a TDAP booster When I signed up to volunteer for a local hospital.

I had applied to volunteer to two hospitals last week. Hopefully I'll hear back and maybe this will be an option!

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I would definitely concur with the state health dept... and actually when I did mine I found it actually cheaper to go ahead and get the immunizations instead of getting the titers.. plus if any of the titers come in low then you will have to get a booster anyway..

worth a thought..

best of luck.

Thank you. My school wants titers like lackeyls for some reason!

I'm not one of those nutty anti-vaccine persons, but I am sensitive to them. I'm sensitive to drugs also, and take a child's medicine or dose and that works very well:laugh:

Will just have to grin and bear it with the flu vax!

Anyway I really appreciate everyone's help! Now I have a few more directions to take and hopefully one will work out!

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