What an A1c test covers

What it measures

A hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) test measures the share of hemoglobin that has glucose attached. MedlinePlus describes that share as a picture of average glucose over about the prior two to three months.

The result is reported as a percent. This page does not list cutoffs, and it does not say what a percent means for any person.

Reference ranges vary by lab. This page does not interpret a result, and it does not say what a high or low number means. Ask your clinician.

How the sample is collected

Collection is a blood sample. A needle enters a vein, and the sample goes into the tube the order names. The visit is at a patient service center or another collection site the seller names. The cited pages do not give one visit length for every lab, so this page does not state one.

Prep and fasting

Prep, including whether to fast, is set by the order and by the seller. This page does not state prep steps. A cash price page states prep only as the seller states it, with the date it was checked.

How long results usually take

The cited pages do not publish one result-release time that every lab uses. When you compare cash offers, use the window that offer states, and the date this site last checked that offer.

How to compare cash prices

Line up the same test name, the component list on the offer, the date the price was checked, any draw fee the offer states, and any physician-order fee the offer states. A missing fee stays missing. This page does not list amounts. See how to compare lab test prices.

This site does not have an A1c cash price page yet. A metabolic panel that happens to include glucose is not an A1c price.