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How do I prepare for a urine test?

Before getting a urine test, it is important to be hydrated. However, do not drink excess water. If you drink a lot before the test, your urine can be very diluted, which would alter the results. Try not to urinate right before your test time, so that it will be easier for you to provide a sample.  

When you provide a urine sample, you will be asked to urinate in a cup. It is important that you use the provided sanitary wipes to clean the urethra and surrounding area well, prior to urinating. This prevents contamination of the sample from bacteria that may be present on the skin. Contaminants can produce false results that would not be useful.  

To provide the sample, you will be instructed to use a clean catch method.   This means that you will urinate a small amount in the toilet, then provide a sample in the container (it needs to be about one-third to one-half full), and then finish urinating in the toilet.   This “mid-stream” sample will have the least bacterial contamination possible.

* Savings estimate based on a study of more than 1 billion claims comparing self-pay (or cash pay) prices of a frequency-weighted market basket of procedures to insurer-negotiated rates for the same. Claims were collected between July 2017 and July 2019. R.Lawrence Van Horn, Arthur Laffer, Robert L.Metcalf. 2019. The Transformative Potential for Price Transparency in Healthcare: Benefits for Consumers and Providers. Health Management Policy and Innovation, Volume 4, Issue 3.

Sidecar Health offers and administers a variety of plans including ACA compliant and excepted benefit plans. Coverage and plan options may vary or may not be available in all states.

Your actual costs may be higher or lower than these cost estimates. Check with your provider and health plan details to confirm the costs that you may be charged for a service or procedure.You are responsible for costs that are not covered and for getting any pre-authorizations or referrals required by your health plan. Neither payments nor benefits are guaranteed. Provider data, including price data, provided in part by Turquoise Health.

The site is not a substitute for medical or healthcare advice and does not serve as a recommendation for a particular provider or type of medical or healthcare.