If your lab is performing COVID-19 testing for patients covered by private insurance and health plans, you need to be aware of the reimbursement rules set out in the new COVID-19 relief legislation. … [Read more...]
Billing & Coding
New HCPCS Codes for COVID-19 Specimen Collection
April 16, 2020
CMS has established two new Level II HCPCS codes for COVID-19 specimen collection: G2023 - Specimen collection for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (Coronavirus … [Read more...]
LDTs
VITAL Act Would Eliminate FDA Regulation of New Tests During Health Emergencies
April 13, 2020
In standing aside and allowing test makers to validate and perform COVID-19 laboratory developed tests (LDTs) and not wait for Emergency Use Authorization (EUA), the FDA has actually acknowledged what … [Read more...]
Reimbirsement
Congress Calls on Insurers to Cover Coronavirus Testing without Charging Patients
March 30, 2020
As labs scramble to come up with a coronavirus detection assay and CMS creates a billing and coding regimen, Congress is working to ensure that private payors provide coverage of SARS-CoV-2 testing. … [Read more...]
Coronavirus
FDA Takes Unprecedented Measures to Promote Rapid Development of Coronavirus Diagnostic Tests
March 19, 2020
The FDA is following a two-prong strategy to promote and expedite development and validation of a test capable of safe, rapid and reliable detection of novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the disease caused … [Read more...]
REIMBURSEMENT
Billing & Coding: CMS Sets Rules for Medicare Coronavirus Testing Reimbursement with Private Payors Expected to Follow Suit
March 17, 2020
Good news for labs that are testing Medicare patients for the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes coronavirus using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 2019 Real Time RT-PCR Diagnostic Test … [Read more...]
ACLA
Lab industry leaders meet with White House on COVID-19 testing
March 8, 2020
The American Clinical Laboratory Association (ACLA) has issued a statement following a meeting last week with the White House's Coronavirus Task Force. Here is a statement from ACLA President Julie … [Read more...]
Coronavirus
Two commercial labs testing now for COVID-19
March 8, 2020
Two commercial lab companies have announced they are moving into testing for COVID-19. LabCorp. said Thursday it was immediately offering testing for COVID-19 and Quest Diagnostics has announced it … [Read more...]
Coronavirus
CMS Develops Additional Code for Coronavirus Lab Tests
March 8, 2020
On March 6, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a second Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) code that can be used by laboratories to bill for certain … [Read more...]
Billing & Coding: Use New HCPCS Code U0001 to Bill Medicare for CDC Coronavirus Test
March 2, 2020
Good news for labs that are testing Medicare patients for SARS-CoV-2 using the newly approved Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 2019 Real Time RT-PCR Diagnostic Test Panel (and … [Read more...]
