Laboratory Services

Laboratory services include diagnostic tests, bloodwork, urinalysis, pathology, and other clinical laboratory procedures used to diagnose, treat, and monitor health conditions. TRICARE covers medically necessary laboratory services as part of comprehensive healthcare benefits.

Types of laboratory services covered: • Blood tests (complete blood count, metabolic panels, lipid panels) • Urinalysis and urine cultures • Pathology and cytology (biopsy analysis) • Microbiology (bacterial and viral cultures) • Genetic and molecular testing • Drug screening • Pregnancy tests • Tumor markers and cancer screening labs • Thyroid function tests

TRICARE lab service costs: • MTF laboratories: No cost for most tests • Network laboratories: Lower cost-shares • Non-network laboratories: Higher cost-shares, potential balance billing • Preventive screening labs: No cost when performed as part of preventive care

Tips for managing lab costs: • Use MTF labs whenever available for no-cost testing • Use network lab providers like Quest Diagnostics or LabCorp • Ask your provider to send lab orders to network facilities • Preventive labs (annual screenings) are covered at no cost

No referral is typically needed for laboratory services ordered by your provider, though the ordering provider should be TRICARE-authorized.