Persa Functional Medicine

Most conventional blood lab tests, such as lipid panel, CBC, liver enzymes, glucose, vitamin D, etc., are covered by your insurance plan regardless of the ordering physician. I recommend that you check with your insurance provider to better understand any restrictions or personal obligations that apply to you under your current plan. Please, check with your insurance company before you do the blood work to avoid any financial surprises. 

If your insurance is covering your blood work, I will provide you with a lab order that you can take to your preferred lab. I would recommend Quest Diagnostics or LabCorp. 

For anyone else  who must  pay cash (because of limited healthcare coverage),  the  lab work can be ordered via an authorized lab company (powered by Quest Diagnostics) which offers  significantly discounted prices. If applicable, these details will be discussed at the time of visit. 

General guidelines for blood draw:

  • Fasting blood draw: No food, coffee, or alcohol for 10-12 hours preceding your lab appointment; you CAN drink water and please, do so! 
  • Serum/blood testosterone testing: If you take testosterone by injection, then always get the blood drawn 48 hours after the last testosterone injection. For those who use topical (cream) testosterone, get the blood drawn 24 hours after the last application. In either case, this is a fasting blood draw. 
  • Thyroid function testing: If you take thyroid medication such as Levothyroxine, Synthroid, Nature Throid, WP Thyroid, Armour Thyroid, or SR-T3 then always take your prescribed thyroid medication 2 to 2.5 hours before the blood draw. Can be fasting or non-fasting. 
  • Food allergy/sensitivity testing: Blood draw can be done any time, fasting or non-fasting. 


Functional medicine specialized tests such as hormone testing (urine or saliva testing), nutritional status testing, genetics, food allergy/sensitivity testing, toxic organic chemicals, toxic heavy metal testing, mycotoxins (mold), MARCoNS, comprehensive stool and digestive analysis, etc., are not typically covered by major health insurance carriers. The prices of these tests will be clearly established before ordering. You will be provided a kit (in office or it will be mailed to you) that comes with instructions on how and when to collect the sample (saliva, urine, hair, stool).