Part B Insider (Multispecialty) Coding Alert
CMS Grants 'CLIA-Waived' Status to 9 Lab Tests
Plus: Physician partners can’t sign home health face-to-face documentation.
Part B practices will benefit from nine new lab tests now classified as "CLIA-waived," thanks to a March 15 MLN Matters article on the topic.
According to article MM8212, CMS will now consider the following tests CLIA-waved. You’ll have to append modifier QW (CLIA-waived test) to these codes, which include the following services, among others:
82055 (Alcohol (ethanol); any specimen except breath) for Germain Laboratories AimStrip Alcohol Saliva
G0434 (Drug screen, other than chromatographic) for Chemtron Biotech’s Chemtrue Single/Multi-Panel Drug Screen Cassette Tests, American Screening Corporation’s Multi-Drug Testing Cards and Cups, and UCP Biosciences’ UCP Compact Drug Test Cards and Cups
85610 (Prothrombin time) for Coag-Sense Prothrombin Time Monitoring System (Professional use)
81003 (Urinalysis, by dip stick or tablet reagent for bilirubin, glucose, hemoglobin, ketones, leukocytes, nitrite, pH, protein, specific gravity, urobilinogen, any number of these constituents; automated, without microscopy) for CLIA waived Inc.’s Automated Urinalysis Test System
To read the article in its entirety, visit www.cms.gov/Outreach-and-Education/Medicare-Learning-Network-MLN/MLNMattersArticles/Downloads/MM8212.pdf.
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