Where to retest Apo B in Vancouver while you work on your numbers
If you're following up on an Apo B result, you have three realistic routes in BC: through your family physician or walk-in clinic to a public collection site like LifeLabs, or through a private service like Numia that orders and collects for you.
BC's provincial guideline suggests following up with an Apo B or non-HDL-C 3 to 6 months after an elevated result; that's for checking whether a change you've made has worked, not a screening schedule. Routine risk reassessment runs on a much longer cycle, from every 5 years at low risk to every 1 to 3 years at high risk.
The difference that matters for a follow-up test isn't the test itself; it's the friction. A route that needs a doctor's appointment before each draw is one people quietly abandon.
How the two routes compare
| Numia | Doctor → public collection site | |
|---|---|---|
| Who orders it | Numia's ordering physician | Your family doctor, NP or walk-in clinic. |
| Appointment needed first | No | Yes, each time |
| Where the draw happens | Your home | A collection site during their hours |
| What you pay | $259 per panel, HSA eligible | Publicly funded, with conditions (below) |
| Turnaround | ~ 72 hours | Varies |
| What's included | Apo B, Lp(a), hs-CRP, full lipids, VLDL | Whatever indicated on the requisition |
| Results | Plain English Dashboard + Numia Companion; optional physician follow up | Through your doctor |
How the public route works, and one quirk worth knowing
Lab services in BC run under the Laboratory Services Act. When a physician orders a test that qualifies as a benefit, the public system pays, and you don't, which makes it a sensible starting point, particularly if you see your family doctor regularly.
Apo B is publicly funded in BC. The quirk is that it isn't normally payable alongside a lipid profile; the province's fee schedule allows it in that combination only in relatively rare cases. Provincial guidance positions Apo B as a follow-up test rather than part of an initial assessment.
Where Numia fits
Numia is the private-pay, at-home route, built for people who'd rather not repeat the appointment step. A physician orders your panel as part of the service; a certified healthcare professional comes to your home anywhere in Greater Vancouver, and results come back in ~72 hours in plain English through your dashboard.
The Cardiac panel includes Apo B, Lp(a), hs-CRP, a full lipid profile and VLDL in one draw, so a retest gives you the full picture rather than a single number in isolation.
Sources4 references
- Evans, J. (2021). Laboratory Services Act: Recovery of lab-test costs. BC Medical Journal, 63(7), 300. View article
- Guidelines and Protocols Advisory Committee. (2021). Appendix C: Lipid testing in primary prevention of cardiovascular disease. BC Guidelines. British Columbia Ministry of Health.
- Laboratory Services Act, SBC 2014, c. 8. https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/14008
- Provincial Laboratory Medicine Services. (2026). Schedule of fees for the laboratory services outpatient payment schedule. Provincial Health Services Authority. View schedule
Last updated September 5, 2026
