An annual comprehensive lab panel is a single yearly blood draw that screens a broad set of health markers at once. Instead of waiting for symptoms, it gives each person a yearly baseline and a way to see how their numbers move over time. The ESPA panel covers six categories of markers:
Blood work is one of the few ways to see a health problem forming before there are symptoms. High blood sugar, rising cholesterol, low vitamin D, and an underactive thyroid often have no warning signs in their early stages. A yearly panel turns those quiet changes into something a provider can see and act on. For an employee, that can mean catching a thyroid issue early, or tracking a cholesterol trend year over year instead of learning about it at a crisis visit.
Each enrolled employee, their spouse, and their dependents receives the comprehensive panel each year, delivered through the employee technology portal.

A provider orders the panel through the employee technology portal.

The employee visits a contracted lab for a quick blood draw.

Results are returned and can be reviewed with a provider.

If a provider sees something to watch, follow-up labs can be repeated as often as medically necessary. See Unlimited Prescribed Labs.
There is no out-of-pocket expense, the panel is reimbursable under the ESPA, and there no insurance billing, and employee take-home pay does not change.
Labs are drawn at a contracted lab. In some areas, often called lab deserts, a contracted lab may not be nearby. If no contracted lab is available, that lab work may be billed to the major medical plan or the member. A provider can help find the nearest option.
The comprehensive panel is available each year. When a provider orders follow-up tests, those can be repeated as often as medically necessary. See Unlimited Prescribed Labs.
Note: Tax benefits stem from the structure of the Self-Insured Medical Reimbursement Plan, which uses pre-tax funding. Employers benefit from reduced FICA taxes, while employees only realize tax advantages if they actively participate in the plan and earn the reimbursement after-tax. Without participation, any reimbursement becomes taxable, negating the financial benefit.
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