Early detection is the best prevention
The short answer
Pre-Diabetes Panel bundles 5 tests — Hemoglobin A1c, Glucose, Fasting and Insulin, Fasting plus 2 more — for $89.99 plus one $6 lab processing fee (about $18.00 per test). Fast 8–12 hours before the draw; results post in 2–5 business days. Physician-authorized with no doctor's visit or insurance needed; one draw at Quest.
Other Labs
Starting at $180
+ lab fees
TestWell
$89.99
+ $6 lab processing fee
The Pre-Diabetes Panel provides the most thorough assessment of blood sugar regulation and diabetes risk available. A1c gives your 2–3 month average. Fasting glucose offers a current snapshot. Fasting insulin detects insulin resistance years before glucose rises. C-Peptide measures actual pancreatic insulin output. The Lipid Panel evaluates the cardiovascular risk that often accompanies insulin resistance. This panel catches metabolic dysfunction at its earliest, most reversible stage.
Prediabetes confirmation + monitoring: A1c, Fasting Glucose, Fasting Insulin, C-Peptide, Lipid Panel. Catches insulin resistance, pancreatic reserve, and the dyslipidemia that drive prediabetes progression to type 2 diabetes.
Anyone with a recent borderline A1c (5.7-6.4%) or fasting glucose 100-125, family history of T2D with risk factors, women with prior gestational diabetes, anyone with PCOS, or those starting lifestyle interventions wanting to track progress.
Sample Type
Blood draw
Fasting
Required
Results In
2–5 business days
Biomarkers
8 across 5 tests
5 individual tests · 8 biomarkers measured — each test linked so you can learn more.
Fasting for 10–12 hours is required. Water is okay.
What can throw off this result
Physician-reviewed “Before your test” pages — what each factor does, for how long, and what to do about it.
A Pre-Diabetes Panel costs $89.99 at TestWell — $95.99 all-in when ordered alone, because the $6 lab processing fee is charged once per order, with no draw fee or physician fee added. 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) | $89.99 | $95.99 | Includes the one $6 lab processing fee, charged once per order |
Competitor prices are read from the linked public pages and re-checked regularly; the labs' sites may add taxes or change prices without notice.
Compare more: Quest Diagnostics price list · Labcorp price list · Quest vs Labcorp · Lab test price checker
Diabetes Screening Panel at $59 has 3 tests (A1c, Glucose, Insulin) — for initial screening. Pre-Diabetes Panel adds C-Peptide (how much insulin your pancreas is actually making) and a Lipid Panel — capturing pancreatic reserve and the dyslipidemia that travels with insulin resistance and drives progression to T2D.
Lifestyle interventions are highly effective at the prediabetic stage: 5-10% weight loss, 150+ min/week of moderate exercise, low-carb or Mediterranean diet, and adequate sleep can reverse prediabetes in 50-70% of cases. Metformin reduces progression by ~30%. Newer GLP-1 medications (semaglutide, tirzepatide) reverse it in even higher percentages.
C-Peptide is released in equal amounts to insulin, so it shows how much insulin your pancreas is actually producing. Early in insulin resistance it runs high (the pancreas compensating); as beta-cell function declines toward type 2 diabetes it falls. It adds a pancreatic-reserve dimension that A1c and glucose alone can't capture.
On TestWell, the Pre-Diabetes Panel is $89.99. Ordering the same tests separately would be about $140. Quest Direct lists comparable bundles at $180, walk-in hospital labs typically bill $400-600 for the same biomarkers without insurance.
Yes — 9-12 hours of fasting (water only) for accurate Fasting Glucose, Fasting Insulin, Lipid Panel, and ALT results.
If insulin is markedly elevated, yes — C-peptide confirms endogenous insulin production. For routine prediabetes screening, this panel is sufficient. C-peptide becomes more useful when distinguishing T1 from T2 or when investigating hypoglycemia.
Every 3-6 months while actively intervening (diet, exercise, GLP-1). Annually for stable prediabetics. After a major lifestyle change (significant weight loss), retest at 3 months to confirm response.
Pre-Diabetes Panel results are typically ready in 2–5 business days after your draw at Quest or Labcorp. TestWell emails you the moment they post, and your results dashboard shows each marker against its reference range with a plain-English explanation.
Eating before the draw, keto and high-protein diets and smoking and nicotine can change a Pre-Diabetes Panel result without anything being wrong. Eating before the draw can raise Glucose, Insulin and Triglycerides and can lower LDL Cholesterol — fast 8–12 hours; water only. Keto and high-protein diets can raise LDL Cholesterol and HDL Cholesterol and can lower Triglycerides and Hemoglobin A1c — recheck with ApoB; discuss cardiovascular risk rather than dismissing the rise as 'diet noise'. Smoking and nicotine can lower HDL Cholesterol and can raise LDL Cholesterol and Glucose — recheck lipids 6–12 weeks after quitting. Each factor is covered on our physician-reviewed "Before your test" pages; when one applies, the fix is usually to remove it and retest.
Order the Pre-Diabetes Panel online from TestWell for $89.99 (plus a $6 per-order lab processing fee) — no doctor's visit, referral or insurance needed. A licensed physician authorizes the order, then you walk into any Quest or Labcorp patient service center near you for the draw (the lab locator on our site lists the closest ones by ZIP code), and results arrive in 2–5 business days.
Medically reviewed by Youmna DiStefano, MD · Last reviewed September 2026
Starting at $180 at other labs
TestWell Price
$89.99
+ $6 lab processing fee at checkout
No insurance needed · HIPAA compliant
Individual tests that complement this panel
Pre-Diabetes Panel
$89.99