Medicare Seeks Input on More Than 100 New Lab Test Codes

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in July will consider pricing recommendations on more than 100 new clinical laboratory codes that will be priced on the 2015 Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule. More than 60 of the new codes are related to drug testing. The meeting will be held July 14 at CMS headquarters in Baltimore. Attendees may register for the meeting online at www.cms.gov/Medicare/Medicare-Fee-for-Service-Payment/ClinicalLabFeeSched/. Proposed pricing for the new codes should be published in September, with final pricing released in November. New Test Codes Presumptive Drug Class Screening 803XX Drug screen, any number of drug classes from Drug Class List A; any number of non-TLC devices or procedures, (e.g., immunoassay) capable of being read by direct optical observation including instrumented-assisted when performed (e.g., dipsticks, cups, cards, cartridges), per date of service 803XX Drug screen, any number of drug classes from Drug Class List A; single drug class method, by instrumented test systems (e.g., discrete multichannel chemistry analyzers utilizing immunoassay or enzyme assay), per date of service 803XX Drug screen, presumptive, single drug class from Drug Class List B, by immunoassay (e.g., ELISA) or non-TLC chromatography without mass spectrometry (e.g., GC, HPLC), each procedure 803XX Drug screen, any number […]