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 | 3-5 days | 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 within days 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
