Metabolic & Diabetes
HbA1c test cost: $16–$45
By Elo. Last updated September 1, 2026.
HbA1c is the cheapest genuinely useful test on this site, at $16, and the easiest to get right. It reflects roughly three months of blood sugar, so there's no fasting, no morning appointment, and nothing you ate this week can throw it off.
It's also the test most likely to tell you something you didn't know. Roughly one in three US adults meet the criteria for prediabetes and most are unaware of it, and unlike a lot of what gets measured in a wellness panel, early prediabetes often reverses. Insurance usually covers HbA1c outright as diabetes screening for at-risk adults, which puts it in a different category from the markers here that payers deny.
Below, we compare what an HbA1c test costs from cash-pay labs, inside a bundle, and through insurance.
How much does an HbA1c test cost?
HbA1c costs $16–$45 on its own, or $99–$499 in a bundle. Those are cash prices, so that's also what HbA1c costs without insurance.
Lowest HbA1c self-pay prices
The lowest cash price we found for HbA1c is $16–$21 at Mito Health, followed by DrSays ($18), Marek Diagnostics ($22), Ulta Lab Tests ($36), and Quest ($45). These are all-in prices that include the draw fee: Mito Health lists HbA1c at $6 and adds a $9.50–$15 draw fee, for $15.50–$21 total.
Cost of HbA1c in a bundle
Eleven packages we track include HbA1c, and every one of them tests dozens of other markers from the same draw. The cheapest bundle with HbA1c is Vitals Vault's 37-biomarker panel at $99, then LabCorp OnDemand ($169 for 48 markers), Empirical Health ($190 for 100 markers), Mito Health ($207 for 77 markers), Parsley Health ($275 for 41 markers), Superpower ($349 for 59 markers), WHOOP Advanced Labs ($349 for 65 markers), Function Health ($365 for 114 markers), Everlywell ($399 for 86 markers), Marek Health ($495 for 56 markers), and InsideTracker ($499 for 48 markers).
How much does an HbA1c test cost at Quest Diagnostics?
At Quest Diagnostics, a HbA1c test costs $45 on its own.
Is an HbA1c test worth it?
Yes. This is one of the best value tests on the site. HbA1c reflects three months of blood sugar, needs no fasting, can be drawn any time of day, and prediabetes is both common and reversible when you catch it. It's the test I'd get before any of the fancier metabolic markers. Roughly 1 in 3 US adults meet the criteria for prediabetes and most don't know.
Either way, the price shouldn't be what decides it: Mito Health sells HbA1c for $16 all-in. The cheapest panel that includes it is Vitals Vault at $99, which is only worth it if you want the other 36 markers too.
What is a normal HbA1c level?
A normal HbA1c is below 5.7%. MedlinePlus puts normal below 5.7%, prediabetes at 5.7% to 6.4%, and diabetes at 6.5% and above. Because HbA1c reflects about three months of blood sugar, it doesn't move with what you ate this morning and needs no fasting.
Reference intervals differ between labs, so read your own result against the range printed on your report.
Does insurance cover an HbA1c test?
Insurance usually covers HbA1c as preventive care, at $0 with no copay for eligible adults. It's covered as diabetes screening for at-risk adults. If you don't meet the criteria, the negotiated cost is about $10 to $20, and paying cash is $16. Drawn at a hospital lab, the same test can be billed $90 to $400, so an in-network or direct-to-consumer draw site is the cheaper place to have it done.
The $15 allowed amount is an estimate, about 1.5x Medicare's $9.71 rate for CPT 83036, and it moves with the lab and the market: the same test is contracted around $18 at one national lab and into the $40s at another. Coinsurance is assumed at 20% once your deductible is met. Your own plan decides both, and most plans apply lab work to the deductible first, so the second outcome above is the one most people land on.
HbA1c is billed as CPT 83036. That's the code to quote if you call your insurer to ask what you'd owe.
Frequently asked questions about HbA1c testing
What is the cheapest way to get an HbA1c test?
The cheapest HbA1c test is $16–$21 at Mito Health. If you'd rather get more markers out of the same draw, Vitals Vault's 37-biomarker panel is $99.
Do I need a doctor's order to get an HbA1c test?
No. The standalone HbA1c tests listed above include the physician order in their price, so you can buy online and have your blood drawn without seeing a doctor first. You'd only need your own doctor's order if you want to bill the test to insurance.
How much does an HbA1c test cost at LabCorp?
LabCorp doesn't publish a flat consumer price for HbA1c, and what you're charged varies by location. The cheapest way to have HbA1c drawn at a LabCorp Patient Service Center is through DrSays, a LabCorp-network lab, at $17.98 all-in ($7.99 + $9.99 collection fee).
What is a normal HbA1c level?
Below 5.7% is normal, 5.7 to 6.4% indicates prediabetes, and 6.5% or higher on two tests indicates diabetes. For many people already managing diabetes, a common target is below 7%.
Do I need to fast for an HbA1c test?
No. HbA1c reflects your average blood sugar over about three months, so it does not require fasting and can be drawn at any time of day.