Blood Draw (Venipuncture)

What it is

Venipuncture is the collection of blood from a vein, almost always for laboratory testing. A phlebotomist or nurse cleans a spot on the inner elbow or the back of the hand, puts an elastic band above it so the vein fills, slides a needle in, and lets blood run into one or more tubes. The band comes off, the needle comes out, and a cotton ball and tape go over the site. What this particular code pays for is that collection work and the supplies — not the analysis. A single stick that fills four tubes for four different panels still appears once as a draw, alongside four separate laboratory charges.

Why it is done

• To obtain a sample for blood tests ordered by a clinician, which is the reason for the great majority of draws
• To provide a specimen for a blood bank, such as typing and crossmatching before a transfusion
• To collect blood for cultures when an infection in the bloodstream is suspected

What to expect

The whole thing takes a couple of minutes. There is a sharp pinch when the needle goes in and mild pressure while the tubes fill. Some people feel lightheaded, and telling the person drawing beforehand generally means being laid back instead of sitting up. Afterward there can be soreness or a small bruise at the site for a day or two. Whether fasting or any other preparation is needed depends entirely on the tests ordered, not on the draw itself. For infants, a small lancet prick rather than a vein stick is often used, which is a different procedure.

Questions worth asking

• Is the draw fee itemized on its own, or folded into the office visit or the laboratory charge?
• Which laboratory will run the tests, and is that laboratory in my network even if the drawing site is?
• Does having blood drawn in a hospital outpatient department cost more than the same draw at a freestanding lab or a doctor's office?
• If several tubes are filled in one stick, is the collection charged once or once per tube?