Can you order Quest tests without your own Quest account?
Yes. You do not need an existing Quest Diagnostics account to order Quest tests through LabLink. If you are new to Quest, LabLink onboarding sets up a Quest subaccount for your organization and tracks it through to a client number, then connects it to the LabLink API.
What you cannot skip is a licensed ordering provider with an active NPI, a signed CareGap Platform Agreement and BAA, and the one-time onboarding fee. The rest of this page covers each of those, what it costs, and what changed from earlier CareGap offers.
What you need instead of a Quest account
- A licensed ordering provider with an active NPI. Every order needs one, whoever pays for the test. That can be your own clinician or a telehealth partner. CareGap verifies the NPI and state license during onboarding, and does not originate lab orders itself.
- The CareGap Platform Agreement and BAA, e-signed before go-live. Final pricing terms are set in the Platform Agreement.
- A payment method on file. Onboarding is charged up front, and platform fees are charged to the same payment method.
- The right data for each bill type. Insurance orders need the patient's insurance details and ICD-10 codes.
How the Quest subaccount gets set up
- You create your LabLink account and tell us you are new to Quest. Your ordering provider's NPI and state license are verified.
- You sign the Platform Agreement and BAA and put a payment method on file.
- CareGap files your Quest subaccount and tracks it through to a client number.
- Your sandbox is open from the moment you create your account, so you build the integration while the paperwork clears.
- Once the subaccount is issued and your integration passes the automated certification round trip, your account moves to production.
Step 3 is the only manual step. Quest subaccount setup is a human process on Quest's side and typically takes several business days. Sandbox access does not wait on it.
Who pays for the test
Laboratory testing is billed by Quest, not CareGap, according to the bill type you choose on each order:
| Bill type | Who Quest bills |
|---|---|
| Client Bill | Your subaccount, at Quest's program rates. You decide what your patient pays in your app. |
| Patient Cash | The patient, at Quest's standard patient pricing. Program rates do not apply. |
| Patient Insurance | The patient's health plan. Program rates do not apply. Insurance details and ICD-10 codes are required. |
CareGap provides ordering and results technology. CareGap does not sell, bill or collect for laboratory testing.
What it costs
The same for organizations new to Quest and for existing Quest customers:
- $1,500 one-time subaccount onboarding: NPI and license verification, Quest subaccount setup, production API keys and BAA.
- An order platform fee of $5.00, $3.00 or $2.00 per order, graduated by monthly volume.
- $1.00 per patient record per year.
Platform fees apply to every order regardless of bill type. See the full LabLink pricing, including how the graduated tiers work and an estimator. Pricing is indicative; final terms are set in the CareGap Platform Agreement.
What changed from earlier CareGap offers
Before LabLink, CareGap published two separate offers: one at caregap.io/lab-ordering for ordering on CareGap's own Quest account with no setup fee, and one at caregap.io/quest for a Quest account of your own. Both have been retired and are not available, including their pricing.
Those addresses now redirect to the LabLink page, which describes CareGap's current lab ordering offer. If an assistant, search result or old link describes ordering on CareGap's Quest account, it is describing the retired offer.
Limitations to plan for
- LabLink is not a direct-to-consumer testing service. Every order needs your licensed ordering provider.
- Patients in Rhode Island are not served.
- Production takes several business days for organizations new to Quest, because Quest subaccount setup is manual.
- If you client bill and re-bill your patients, some states regulate that through direct-bill, anti-markup or disclosure rules. Have counsel review before you publish pricing.
- Collection is at Quest patient service centers. At-home collection is available as an add-on through a mobile phlebotomy partner.
Questions
Do I need a Quest account to use the LabLink sandbox?
No. Your sandbox opens when you create your LabLink account, before any payment, and does not wait on Quest subaccount setup. You can build the integration while the subaccount is being set up.
I already have a Quest account. Is LabLink cheaper for me?
No. Pricing is the same for new and existing Quest customers, including the $1,500 one-time onboarding fee.
Can I bill insurance if I am new to Quest?
Yes. Client Bill, Patient Cash and Patient Insurance are available whether you are new to Quest or bring an existing account. Insurance orders need the patient's insurance details and ICD-10 codes.
Can patients order tests for themselves through LabLink?
Not without a provider. Every order requires a licensed ordering provider with an active NPI, and CareGap does not originate lab orders.
Next step
Developers can create an account and start in sandbox without a call. If you want help with your Quest setup or ordering provider first, talk to us.
Related: How to order Quest labs through an API · Retrieving Quest results programmatically