--- title: Vitamin B12 Test type: test id: vitamin-b12 url: "https://www.test-well.com/tests/vitamin-b12" price_usd: 25.99 lab_fee_usd: 6 all_in_usd: 31.99 cpt: 82607 category: Vitamins & Nutrients sample: Blood draw fasting_required: false results_in: "2–4 business days" labs: - Quest - Labcorp - BioReference orderable: true reviewed_at: 2026-09-14 order_url: "https://www.test-well.com/cart?add=vitamin-b12&utm_source=ai_agent&utm_medium=markdown" --- # Vitamin B12 Test > Essential for nerve function, energy production, and red blood cell formation, measured from a standard blood draw. At TestWell it costs $25.99 plus a $6 lab fee, needs no fasting, and results post in 2–4 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 | 82607 | | Sample | Blood draw | | Fasting | Not required | | Results | 2–4 business days | | Labs | Quest Diagnostics, Labcorp, BioReference (NY & NJ) | | Biomarkers measured | 1 | | 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 Vitamin B12 test tell you? Essential for nerve function, energy production, and red blood cell formation. Deficiency is common. Vitamin B12 is crucial for nerve function, DNA synthesis, red blood cell production, and brain health. Deficiency can cause fatigue, weakness, numbness and tingling, memory problems, and anemia. It's especially common in vegans/vegetarians, older adults, and those taking certain medications like metformin or proton pump inhibitors. **Clinical use:** Essential for nerve function and red blood cell production. Deficiency causes fatigue, neuropathy, megaloblastic anemia, and (if prolonged) irreversible neurologic damage. ## Who should order it? Vegans/vegetarians, anyone over 50, people on metformin or PPIs (both deplete B12), patients with unexplained fatigue, brain fog, tingling/numbness, or balance issues. ## Biomarkers measured - [Vitamin B12](https://www.test-well.com/biomarkers/vitamin-b12) ## 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 | $26.99 | $32.99 | Choose at checkout; walk-in patient service centers nationwide (not NY/NJ) | | BioReference (NY & NJ) | $24.99 | $30.99 | 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 Vitamin B12 test cost? A Vitamin B12 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. Ordered directly from the labs' own consumer sites, the same test lists at $49.00 at Quest Health and $49.00 at Labcorp OnDemand (list prices checked Sep 12, 2026). 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 | | Quest Health (Quest Diagnostics' own site) | $49.00 | $49.00 | [list price checked 2026-09-12](https://www.questhealth.com/product/vitamin-b12-test/927M.html) | | Labcorp OnDemand (Labcorp's own site) | $49.00 | $49.00 | [list price checked 2026-09-12](https://www.ondemand.labcorp.com/lab-tests/vitamin-b12-test) | | 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 927 · Labcorp test no. 001503 · BioReference code 0160-2. ## How do you prepare? No fasting required. Biotin supplements may interfere — stop 72 hours before. ## Related conditions - [Vitamin B12 deficiency anemia](https://www.test-well.com/conditions/anemia) (D51.0) - Pernicious anemia (D51.0) - Peripheral neuropathy (G62.9) - Macrocytic anemia (D53.1) ## Is the Vitamin B12 worth it? > Worth it if you have fatigue, nerve symptoms, or a reason to be low - and genuinely valuable for vegans, older adults, and anyone on metformin or long-term acid reducers. At $25.99 it is a cheap, high-yield test; a B12 deficiency is very treatable once you know it is there. ### Worth it if you… - Fatigue, brain fog, or low mood being worked up for a nutritional cause - Tingling or numbness in the hands and feet (B12 deficiency can damage nerves) - Vegetarians and vegans, who get little B12 from diet - Adults over 50, and anyone on metformin or long-term acid reducers (PPIs), which lower B12 absorption ### You can probably wait if you… - You supplement B12 already and have no symptoms - a normal result is expected and not very informative - You take biotin (a common hair/nail supplement) and cannot pause it - it can skew the assay; stop it 72 hours before testing instead of skipping the test entirely ### At home or in the lab? At-home collection is available. Vitamin B12 is a simple venous draw at Quest or Labcorp, or an at-home mobile draw where available - no fasting required. One prep note that trips people up: high-dose biotin supplements can interfere with the assay, so stop biotin for 72 hours before your draw. If B12 is borderline, pairing it with methylmalonic acid (MMA) or [folate](https://www.test-well.com/tests/folate) confirms a true tissue deficiency. ### How do you read the results? | Result | Typical adult range | What an out-of-range value can mean | | --- | --- | --- | | Vitamin B12 (serum) | ~200-900 pg/mL | Under ~200 pg/mL indicates deficiency; 200-300 is borderline and often confirmed with an MMA test; high levels are usually just supplementation and rarely a concern on their own. | _This section medically reviewed; last reviewed 2026-07-17._ ## Common questions about the Vitamin B12 test ### What's a healthy B12 level? Standard ranges start at ~200 pg/mL, but neurologic symptoms can occur at levels under 400. Many functional clinicians target 600-900 pg/mL for optimal nerve function. If your level is in the 200-400 'gray zone' but you have symptoms, add methylmalonic acid (MMA) testing — it confirms functional B12 deficiency even when serum B12 looks OK. ### Why do PPIs and metformin deplete B12? B12 absorption requires stomach acid to release it from food protein (which PPIs suppress) and intrinsic factor for transport across the gut wall (which metformin interferes with). Anyone on long-term PPIs (Prilosec, Nexium, omeprazole) or metformin should test B12 annually. ### What's the difference between B12 and a B12 + Folate test? B12 alone is sufficient if you've already ruled out folate deficiency. The [B12 + Folate](https://www.test-well.com/tests/vitamin-b12-and-folate) bundle is better when investigating macrocytic anemia (large red blood cells on a [CBC](https://www.test-well.com/tests/cbc-with-differential)) because both deficiencies look similar on smear. ### How much does a Vitamin B12 test cost without insurance? On TestWell, Vitamin B12 is $25.99. Quest Direct lists the same test at $49, walk-in hospital labs typically bill $80-100 without insurance. Same CLIA-certified labs, same biomarker — TestWell just removes the markup. ### What is the CPT code for a Vitamin B12 test? The CPT code for serum Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) is 82607. Folate is billed separately as 82746. Methylmalonic acid (functional B12 marker) is 83921. ### Do I need to fast for a B12 test? No fasting required. But hold B12 supplements for at least 24 hours before testing — they can artificially elevate the result and mask a true deficiency. ### How often should I retest B12? Annually for vegans/vegetarians, anyone on PPIs or metformin, and adults over 50. Every 3-6 months when correcting a deficiency or after starting B12 injections. ### How much does a B12 test cost without insurance? On TestWell a Vitamin B12 test is $25.99 self-pay - no insurance or doctor's visit needed - versus roughly $49 at Quest Direct and $100+ when a hospital bills it uninsured. It is the same B12 assay (CPT 82607) run at Quest or Labcorp, with results in 1-3 business days. ### My B12 is 'normal' but I still have symptoms - what next? Serum B12 can sit in the low-normal range while your tissues are actually deficient. If symptoms like fatigue or tingling persist, a methylmalonic acid (MMA) test is more sensitive - it rises when B12 is functionally low. Checking [ferritin](https://www.test-well.com/tests/ferritin) and [thyroid](https://www.test-well.com/tests/tsh) is also common in a fatigue work-up, since the causes overlap. ## How to order 1. Add to cart: https://www.test-well.com/cart?add=vitamin-b12&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 2–4 business days with reference ranges and flags. ## Related - [Methylmalonic Acid (MMA) and B12 Deficiency: Why the Test Is Ordered and How to Read It](https://www.test-well.com/guides/methylmalonic-acid-b12-deficiency) - [CBC With Differential Explained: What Each Value Means and How to Read Your Results](https://www.test-well.com/guides/cbc-with-differential-explained) - [Blood Tests After Pregnancy](https://www.test-well.com/guides/blood-tests-after-pregnancy) - [Basic Vitamin Deficiency Panel](https://www.test-well.com/tests/vitamin-deficiency-panel) — 3 tests · $89.99 - [Comprehensive B12 Deficiency Panel](https://www.test-well.com/tests/b12-deficiency-panel) — 3 tests · $79.99 - [Baseline Anemia Panel](https://www.test-well.com/tests/anemia-panel) — 5 tests · $74.99 - [Biotin (Vitamin B7)](https://www.test-well.com/tests/biotin) — $259.99 - [Calcium](https://www.test-well.com/tests/calcium) — $26.99 - [Copper](https://www.test-well.com/tests/copper) — $31.99 - [CoQ10 (Coenzyme Q10)](https://www.test-well.com/tests/coq10-coenzyme-q10) — $74.99 - [Folate (Vitamin B9)](https://www.test-well.com/tests/folate) — $32.99 - [All Vitamins & Nutrients tests](https://www.test-well.com/tests/category/vitamins-nutrients) - [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/vitamin-b12 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.