Insurance Requiring a 2nd Blood Test after Starting TRT

You couldn’t have injected 1.5 ml 200 mg, that would be 300 mg injection, that can’t be right. Wait 4 weeks and you are guaranteed to be below 300 ng/dL.

Systemlord I tried posting a screen shot of my dosage. It should be up after approval, but I’m pretty sure it is 300mg. Thank you for your responses.

https://forums.t-nation.com/uploads/short-url/rXGkmaxpjnCpNVv3uQQaAXbQrkY.png replied to the wrong person

This is probably a good warning to most - my insurance requires the same. So I didn’t a blood test two days in a row. Some require morning.

I don’t know who told you to inject 300mg, but whoever it is needs a cold wet fish smacked across the face. No one here injects that much testosterone, that’s insane and isn’t regarded as TRT, suggest doctors are stupid. Sadly most doctors are idiots when it comes to TRT.

Post all labs including SHBG so we can tune your protocol tailored to you.

Thank you for that info. I thought that was high from what I have been reading, but he was going to do blood work like 4-5 weeks after I started. I’ll be looking for a new doctor once I figure out this insurance stuff. I asked this DR about an AI and he looked at me like I had a di*% growing out of my forehead and said you don’t need that. So my hopes for asking about hCG are probably in the same boat, but I have an urologist I’ve went to recently for a vasectomy and I’ll probably go to again. I’m still pretty new to this so thank you for any and all help.

I figured he was clueless, probably has no idea what you’re talking about, deer in headlights. You will need an AI if you’re going to be injecting 300mg weekly.

I will post an update once I get my Insurance figured out and have started a regular regimen. Again thank you for the help.

Prescribed 1.5ml x 200mg/ml = 300mg?
Really?
How often?
Are you self-injecting?

Yeah 1.5ml X 200mg/ml for total 300mg (screenshot above has prescription info). once a week. The nurse has been doing the injections, but the issue with my insurance came up when he prescribed me at home injections. So until I get that resolved I have stopped injections. @KSman

My insurance requires that as well. I just pay for my own Testosterone using a GoodRX discount and don’t deal with the insurance anymore.

How much does that cost? I assume you buy the 10ML vile? My insurance usually covers almost all prescription cost. Also I/my employer pay them so much money it infuriates me they are fighting me on this so they can save a couple extra dollars. @rmh192

$28 for a 10ml 200mg/ml vial. It took me years to get my dosages dialed in. I don’t like the idea of stopping injections so that I can prove that my system no longer works. They wouldn’t ask me to do that for blood pressure, diabetes, or heart meds if I took them.

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Getting insurance to pay up is one thing, getting a knowledgeable doctor that knows how to manage your hormones is another story. Any doctor prescribing 300mg weekly without an AI is setting you up for trouble.

Yeah it’s frustrating for sure. I finally feel like I have energy again. My mood is better. And all your other benefits of TRT. I hate I get the short end of the stick no matter what.

My insurance required two consecutive low labs prior to approving treatment. Also, all of my go forward labs have to be completed before 11:00AM or they disregard them. On one hand it’s annoying to jump through the all the hoops, but on the other, from my perspective, it’s a reasonable request prior to starting a life long treatment. Testosterone is also a controlled substance so maybe that plays into it too.

Curious, are you working with an in network Dr., or are you going to a stand alone TRT clinic? My doc (and wife) checked with insurance before I did anything. However, clinics are usually self pay, require onsite injections, and to my knowledge fall outside of all/most networks.

I only required one test because I have several other things pointing to low T as the only possible cause. It’s hard for insurance companies to argue when you have very low RBC, low hematocrit, muscle wasting, anemia, high blood pressure and elevated heart rate.

Low T can explain all of those, blood test only confirmed the cause. You need to find a clinic with real doctors like Defy Medical who are anti-aging doctors, not those clinics staffed by RNs who know nothing about male hormones. SHBG dictates dosing and injection frequency.

That’s where these cookie cutter protocols come from, 200mg weekly, 1mg Arimidex and HCG.

It was through my regular doctor. It is in network. I will just wait the 4 weeks @systemlord recommended and just do two blood tests back to back.

@systemlord thanks for the advice. I waited the 4 weeks. My total T was 54. I don’t think Insurance will be able to decline me now. Also talked to my doctor about T to E conversion. Not the answer I was looking for, but he said he will prescribe me something if I show signs of high E. Guess I need to grow some man boobs before I can get treatment. Haha. Also thank you and @KSman for your other posts. I have read a lot and learned a lot. Still have a lot to learn though I’m sure.