Medicare Claims Processing Manual

1 Medicare Claims Processing Manual Chapter 16 - Laboratory Services Table of Contents Crosswalk to Old Manuals 10 - Background - Definitions - General Explanation of Payment 20 - Calculation of Payment Rates - Clinical Laboratory Test Fee Schedules - Initial Development of Laboratory Fee Schedules - Annual Fee Schedule Updates 30 - Special Payment Considerations - Mandatory Assignment for Laboratory Tests - Rural Health Clinics - Deductible and Coinsurance Application for Laboratory Tests - Method of Payment for Clinical Laboratory Tests - Place of Service Variation - Payment for Review of Laboratory Test Results by Physician 40 - billing for Clinical Laboratory Tests - Laboratories billing for Referred Tests - Payment Limit for Purchased Services - Hospital billing Under part B - Critical Access Hospital (CAH) Outpatient Laboratory Service - Special Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF)

2 billing Exceptions for Laboratory Tests - Which Contractor to Bill for Laboratory Services Furnished to a Medicare Beneficiary in a Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) - Rural Health Clinic (RHC) billing - billing for End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Related Laboratory Tests Automated Multi-Channel Chemistry (AMCC) Tests for ESRD Beneficiaries - FIs - Claims Processing for Separately Billable Tests for ESRD Beneficiaries - Separately Billable ESRD Laboratory Tests Furnished by Hospital-Based Facilities - Separately Billable ESRD Laboratory Tests Furnished to Patients of Independent Dialysis Facilities - FIs - billing for Noncovered Clinical Laboratory Tests 50 Carrier Claims Processing - Referring Laboratories - Physicians - Assignment Required - Hospitals - Hospital-Leased Laboratories - Hospital Laboratory Services

3 Furnished to Nonhospital Patients - Reporting of Pricing Localities for Clinical Laboratory Services - Jurisdiction of Laboratory Claims - Referral Laboratory Services - Examples of Independent Laboratory Jurisdiction 60 - Specimen Collection Fee and Travel Allowance - Specimen Collection Fee - Physician Specimen Drawing - Independent Laboratory Specimen Drawing - Specimen Drawing for Dialysis Patients - Coding Requirements for Specimen Collection - Travel Allowance 70 - Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA)

4 Requirements - Background - billing - Verifying CLIA Certification - CLIA Numbers - CLIA Categories and Subcategories - Certificate for Physician-Performed Microscopy Procedures - Deleted - Held for Expansion - Certificate of Waiver - CLIA License or Licensure Exemption - CLIA Number Submitted on Form CMS-1500 - Physician Notification of Denials - Reasons for Denial - Physician Office Laboratories Out-of-Compliance 80 - Issues Related to Specific Tests - Screening Services - Anatomic Pathology Services - Technical Component (TC)

5 Of Physician Pathology Services to Hospital Patients - National Minimum Payment Amounts for Cervical or Vaginal Smear Clinical Laboratory Tests - Oximetry 90 - Automated Profile Tests and Organ/Disease Oriented Panels - Laboratory Tests Utilizing Automated Equipment - Automated Test Listing - Organ or Disease Oriented Panels - Claims Processing Requirements for Panel and Profile Tests - History Display - Medicare Secondary Payer - Evaluating the Medical Necessity for Laboratory Panel CPT Codes - Special Processing Considerations 100 - CPT Codes Subject to and Not Subject to the Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule - Deleted - Held for Expansion - Laboratory Tests Never Subject to the Fee Schedule - Procedures Not Subject to Fee Schedule When Billed With Blood Products - Not Otherwise Classified Clinical Laboratory Tests - Other Coding Issues - Tests Performed More Than Once on the Same Day - Pricing Modifiers 110 - Coordination Between Carriers and Other Entities - Coordination Between Carriers and FIs/RRB.

6 Coordination With Medicaid - Coordination With FIs and Providers - Carrier Contacts With Independent Clinical Laboratories 120- Clinical Laboratory Services Based on the Negotiated Rulemaking - Negotiated Rulemaking Implementation 10 - Background (Rev. 1, 10-01-03) B3-2070, , , B3-5114 Diagnostic X-ray, laboratory, and other diagnostic tests, including materials and the services of technicians, are covered under the Medicare program. Some clinical laboratory procedures or tests require Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval before coverage is provided.

7 A diagnostic laboratory test is considered a laboratory service for billing purposes, regardless of whether it is performed in: A physician s office, by an independent laboratory; By a hospital laboratory for its outpatients or nonpatients; In a rural health clinic; or In an HMO or Health Care Prepayment Plan (HCPP) for a patient who is not a member. When a hospital laboratory performs laboratory tests for nonhospital patients, the laboratory is functioning as an independent laboratory, and still bills the fiscal intermediary (FI).

8 Also, when physicians and laboratories perform the same test, whether manually or with automated equipment, the services are deemed similar. Laboratory services furnished by an independent laboratory are covered under SMI if the laboratory is an approved Independent Clinical Laboratory. However, as is the case of all diagnostic services, in order to be covered these services must be related to a patient s illness or injury (or symptom or complaint) and ordered by a physician. A small number of laboratory tests can be covered as a preventive screening service.

9 See the Medicare Benefit Policy Manual , Chapter 15, for detailed coverage requirements. See the Medicare Program Integrity Manual , Chapter 10, for laboratory/supplier enrollment guidelines. See the Medicare State Operations Manual for laboratory/supplier certification requirements. - Definitions (Rev. 1, 10-01-03) , , Independent Laboratory - An independent laboratory is one that is independent both of an attending or consulting physician s office and of a hospital that meets at least the requirements to qualify as an emergency hospital as defined in 1861(e) of the Social Security Act (the Act.)

10 (See the Medicare Benefits Policy Manual , Chapter 15, for detailed discussion.) Physician Office Laboratory A physician office laboratory is a laboratory maintained by a physician or group of physicians for performing diagnostic tests in connection with the physician practice. Clinical Laboratory - See the Medicare Benefits Policy Manual , Chapter 15. Qualified Hospital Laboratory - A qualified hospital laboratory is one that provides some clinical laboratory tests 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to serve a hospital s emergency room that is also available to provide services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.