--- title: Iron & TIBC Test type: test id: iron-tibc url: "https://www.test-well.com/tests/iron-and-tibc" price_usd: 25.99 lab_fee_usd: 6 all_in_usd: 31.99 cpt: 83540, 83550 category: Iron & Anemia sample: Blood draw fasting_required: true results_in: "1–3 business days" labs: - Quest - Labcorp - BioReference orderable: true reviewed_at: 2026-09-14 order_url: "https://www.test-well.com/cart?add=iron-and-tibc&utm_source=ai_agent&utm_medium=markdown" --- # Iron & TIBC Test > Iron & TIBC measures Iron, TIBC and Iron Saturation % from a standard blood draw. At TestWell it costs $25.99 plus a $6 lab fee, requires an 8–12 hour fast, and results post in 1–3 business days. Physician-authorized with no doctor's visit or insurance needed; draw at Quest or Labcorp. ## Key facts | Fact | Value | | --- | --- | | Price | $25.99 + $6 lab processing fee per order ($31.99 all-in for this test alone) | | CPT code | 83540, 83550 | | Sample | Blood draw | | Fasting | Yes — 8–12 hours | | Results | 1–3 business days | | Labs | Quest Diagnostics, Labcorp, BioReference (NY & NJ) | | Biomarkers measured | 3 | | Physician authorization | Included — no doctor's visit, referral or insurance needed | | Payment | Card, HSA or FSA; cash-pay only (no insurance billing) | ## What does the Iron & TIBC test tell you? Measures serum iron and your body's iron-binding capacity to evaluate iron deficiency or overload. This panel measures serum iron (the amount of iron circulating in your blood) and Total Iron Binding Capacity (TIBC), which reflects how well your blood can transport iron. Together, they can calculate iron saturation percentage. Low iron with high TIBC suggests iron deficiency, while high iron with low TIBC may indicate iron overload (hemochromatosis). **Clinical use:** Measures serum iron + Total Iron Binding Capacity (TIBC), which together yield transferrin saturation. Combined with ferritin, gives a complete picture of iron metabolism. ## Who should order it? Anyone investigating iron deficiency anemia, monitoring iron supplementation, evaluating iron overload, or screening for hemochromatosis (especially men over 40 with family history). ## Biomarkers measured - [Iron](https://www.test-well.com/biomarkers/iron) - [TIBC](https://www.test-well.com/biomarkers/tibc) - [Iron Saturation %](https://www.test-well.com/biomarkers/iron-saturation) ## Price by lab | Lab | Test price | All-in (with $6 fee) | Notes | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Quest Diagnostics | $25.99 | $31.99 | Choose at checkout; walk-in patient service centers nationwide (not NY/NJ) | | Labcorp | $25.99 | $31.99 | Choose at checkout; walk-in patient service centers nationwide (not NY/NJ) | | BioReference (NY & NJ) | $21.99 | $27.99 | New York and New Jersey orders route here automatically | Rhode Island is not served. Prices are identical online and in the lab; no draw fee or physician fee is added. ## How much does a Iron & TIBC test cost? A Iron & TIBC test costs $25.99 at TestWell — $31.99 all-in when ordered alone, because the $6 lab processing fee is charged once per order, with no draw fee or physician fee added. Hospital outpatient labs typically bill around $100.00 self-pay for the same test, and often more. With insurance, what you pay depends on your deductible and your plan's negotiated rate; TestWell's price is fixed before the draw and is HSA/FSA-eligible. | Where you order | Price | One test, all-in | Notes | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | TestWell (drawn at Quest or Labcorp) | $25.99 | $31.99 | Includes the one $6 lab processing fee, charged once per order | | Hospital outpatient lab, self-pay (typical) | $100.00 | $100.00 | Reference figure; hospital charges vary widely by facility and are often higher | Lab test codes: Quest test code 5616 · Labcorp test no. 001321 · BioReference code 0250-1. ## How do you prepare? Fasting for 8–12 hours recommended. Best drawn in the morning. Stop iron supplements 24 hours before. ## Related conditions - [Iron deficiency anemia](https://www.test-well.com/conditions/anemia) (D50.9) - Hemochromatosis (E83.110) - Anemia of chronic disease (D63.8) - Restless legs syndrome (G25.81) ## Is the Iron & TIBC worth it? > Worth it when you are working up iron deficiency or overload and want more than ferritin alone. It shows how much iron is actually circulating and how saturated your transferrin is, which catches problems a ferritin number can miss - and it pairs best with ferritin, not instead of it. ### Worth it if you… - Fatigue, hair shedding, or restless legs being worked up for low iron - Confirming iron deficiency when ferritin is borderline or looks falsely normal from inflammation - Men over 40, or anyone with a family history, screening for hemochromatosis (iron overload) - Monitoring iron supplements or infusions to see if levels are responding ### You can probably wait if you… - You just want the single most sensitive first screen - [ferritin](https://www.test-well.com/tests/ferritin) catches deficiency earliest and costs less - You want the complete picture in one order - the [Iron Panel](https://www.test-well.com/tests/iron-panel-complete) bundles iron, TIBC, and ferritin together ### At home or in the lab? At-home collection is available. A venous draw at Quest or Labcorp, or an at-home mobile draw where available. Timing matters more here than for most tests: fast 8-12 hours, hold iron supplements for 24 hours beforehand (they can spike serum iron and mask a real deficiency), and try to be drawn in the morning, when iron is naturally highest. ### How do you read the results? | Result | Typical adult range | What an out-of-range value can mean | | --- | --- | --- | | Serum iron | ~50-170 mcg/dL | The iron circulating right now; it swings through the day, so it is interpreted alongside TIBC rather than alone. | | TIBC | ~250-450 mcg/dL | How much capacity your blood has to carry iron; it rises when iron is low (the blood is 'hungrier') and falls with iron overload. | | Transferrin saturation | 20-50% | Calculated from iron and TIBC - the best single iron-status number. Under 20% suggests deficiency; over ~45% suggests overload and warrants follow-up. | _This section medically reviewed; last reviewed 2026-06-20._ ## Common questions about the Iron & TIBC test ### Why pair Iron with TIBC? Iron alone fluctuates significantly throughout the day. TIBC reflects how 'hungry' your blood is for iron (it measures transferrin's capacity to bind iron). Together they yield % transferrin saturation — the best single iron-status marker. Saturation under 20% suggests deficiency; over 45% suggests overload. ### What's the difference between Iron + TIBC and Ferritin? Ferritin measures iron stored in tissue (the reservoir). Iron + TIBC measures iron circulating in the blood (current supply). Both tell different stories: ferritin drops first in deficiency, but Iron + TIBC catches functional iron deficiency when stores are normal but you can't deliver iron to cells. The [Iron Panel (Complete)](https://www.test-well.com/tests/iron-panel-complete) includes all three. ### What's a normal transferrin saturation? 20-50% is the standard range. Under 20% suggests iron deficiency. Over 45% in men or over 35% in women warrants follow-up for hemochromatosis (genetic iron overload), especially if ferritin is also elevated. ### How much does an Iron + TIBC test cost without insurance? On TestWell, Iron + TIBC is $25.99. Quest Direct lists the same test at $50, walk-in hospital labs typically bill $80-100 without insurance. Same CLIA-certified labs, same biomarkers — TestWell just removes the markup. ### What is the CPT code for Iron and TIBC? Serum iron is CPT 83540. TIBC is CPT 83550. Transferrin saturation is calculated from the two and doesn't get its own code. When ordered together they're usually billed under 83540 + 83550. ### Do I need to fast for an Iron + TIBC test? Yes — 8-12 hours of fasting is recommended. Also hold iron supplements for 24 hours before the draw; they can transiently elevate serum iron and produce false-normal results that mask a true deficiency. ### When should I draw blood for Iron + TIBC? Morning (7-10 AM) is best. Serum iron has a strong diurnal rhythm — morning values are typically 30% higher than evening. Always draw at the same time of day if you're tracking trends over multiple tests. ### Should I order ferritin or an iron + TIBC test? Start with [ferritin](https://www.test-well.com/tests/ferritin) if you want the single most sensitive, cheapest screen - it drops first in deficiency. Iron + TIBC adds the circulating supply and your transferrin saturation, which catches functional deficiency (and iron overload) that ferritin alone can miss. Many people run both, or order the [complete Iron Panel](https://www.test-well.com/tests/iron-panel-complete) to get all three at once. ### Can I test my iron at home without a doctor? Yes - order online through TestWell (no doctor's visit needed) and get a venous draw at Quest or Labcorp, or an at-home mobile draw where available. Just remember this test is timing-sensitive: fast, go in the morning, and hold iron supplements for 24 hours so the result is not falsely elevated. ### My iron came back normal but I still feel tired - what now? Serum iron fluctuates hour to hour, so a single 'normal' can be misleading. Your stored iron ([ferritin](https://www.test-well.com/tests/ferritin)) can be low even when circulating iron looks fine, so checking ferritin and transferrin saturation together gives a truer read. If iron is genuinely fine, fatigue work-ups often move on to [thyroid](https://www.test-well.com/tests/tsh-with-free-t4) and [vitamin B12](https://www.test-well.com/tests/vitamin-b12). ## How to order 1. Add to cart: https://www.test-well.com/cart?add=iron-and-tibc&utm_source=ai_agent&utm_medium=markdown 2. Create an account or sign in, confirm your state and preferred lab, pay by card, HSA or FSA. 3. A licensed physician authorizes the order (usually within minutes); the requisition arrives by email. 4. Walk into any Quest Diagnostics, Labcorp, BioReference (NY & NJ) patient service center — no appointment needed at most sites. 5. Results post to your TestWell portal in 1–3 business days with reference ranges and flags. ## Related - [Baseline Anemia Panel](https://www.test-well.com/tests/anemia-panel) — 5 tests · $74.99 - [Women's Health Panel](https://www.test-well.com/tests/womens-health-panel) — 8 tests · $129.99 - [Comprehensive Anemia Workup](https://www.test-well.com/tests/comprehensive-anemia-panel) — 8 tests · $169.99 - [All Iron & Anemia tests](https://www.test-well.com/tests/category/iron-anemia) - [Full test directory](https://www.test-well.com/tests/directory) --- Medically reviewed by Youmna DiStefano, MD (Medical Reviewer, TestWell); last reviewed 2026-09-14. Review policy: https://www.test-well.com/reviewers/youmna-distefano-md Canonical page: https://www.test-well.com/tests/iron-and-tibc Machine-readable catalog: https://www.test-well.com/api/catalog.json · MCP server: https://www.test-well.com/mcp · Overview for agents: https://www.test-well.com/llms.txt Prices are cash-pay, in USD, and include physician authorization; every order adds one flat $6 lab processing fee. Educational content is not a diagnosis — discuss results with a clinician.