October 15, 2020
Reminder: COVID-19: Payment for Diagnostic Laboratory Tests
Earlier this year, CMS took action to ensure America's patients, health care facilities, and clinical laboratories were prepared to respond to the 2019-Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). To help increase testing and track new cases, CMS developed two HCPCS codes that laboratories can use to bill for certain COVID-19 diagnostic tests. Health care providers and laboratories may bill Medicare and other health insurers for SARS-CoV2 tests performed on or after February 4 using:
- HCPCS code U0001 for tests developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- HCPCS code U0002 for non-CDC laboratory tests for SARS-CoV-2/2019-nCoV (COVID-19)
Laboratories and other health providers can also bill Medicare for tests using CPT codes created by the American Medical Association, provided testing uses the method specified by each CPT code:
- CPT code 87635 for infectious agent detection by nucleic acid tests for dates of service on or after March 13
- CPT codes 86769 and 86328 for serology tests for dates of service on or after April 10
Finally, for dates of service on or after April 14, 2020, Medicare pays $100 for laboratory tests for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 or the diagnosis of the virus that causes COVID-19 making use of high throughput technologies. Laboratories can bill Medicare for these tests using:
- U0003: Infectious agent detection by nucleic acid (DNA or RNA); severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (Coronavirus disease [COVID-19]), amplified probe technique, making use of high throughput technologies as described by CMS-2020-01-R.
- U0004: 2019-nCoV Coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2/2019-nCoV (COVID-19), any technique, multiple types or subtypes (includes all targets), non-CDC, making use of high throughput technologies as described by CMS-2020-01-R.
Neither U0003 nor U0004 should be used to bill for tests that detect COVID-19 antibodies.
For COVID-19 tests that do not use high throughput technology, Medicare Administrative Contractors developed payment amounts for claims in their jurisdictions that will be used until we establish national payment rates though the annual laboratory meeting process. There is no cost-sharing for Medicare patients.
Specimen Collections
New Specimen Collection Codes for Laboratories Billing for COVID-19 Testing
Clinical diagnostic laboratories: To identify and reimburse specimen collection for COVID-19 testing, CMS established two Level II HCPCS codes, these codes are billable by clinical diagnostic laboratories effective with line item date of service on or after March 1, 2020:
- G2023 – Specimen collection for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (Coronavirus disease [COVID-19]), any specimen source
- G2024 – Specimen collection for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (Coronavirus disease [COVID-19]), from an individual in a skilled nursing facility or by a laboratory on behalf of a home health agency, any specimen source
COVID-19 Diagnostic Laboratory Tests: Billing for Clinician Services
Physicians and non-physician practitioners (NPPs): Here are several reminders related to billing for COVID-19 symptom and exposure and specimen collection performed on and after March 1, 2020:
- Use CPT code 99211 to bill for assessment and collection provided by clinical staff (such as pharmacists) incident to your services, unless you are reporting another Evaluation and Management (E/M) code for concurrent services. This applies to all patients, not just established patients.
- Submit the CS modifier with 99211 (or other E/M code for assessment and collection) to waive cost sharing.
- Contact your Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) if you did not include the CS modifier when you submitted 99211 so they can reopen and reprocess the claim.
- We will automatically reprocess claims billed for 99211 that were denied due to place of service editing.
Submitting claims for Lab services:
All lab services are submitted for consideration by the lab or provider, not by the Medicare enrollee aka Beneficiary.
- Physician/Practitioner/Supplier Participation Agreement and Assignment - Carrier Claims 30.3.1 - Mandatory Assignment on Carrier Claims
- Assignment is mandated for the following claims:
- Clinical diagnostic laboratory services and physician lab services;
- Physician services to individuals dually entitled to Medicare and Medicaid;
- Contractors shall maintain documentation of beneficiary complaints involving violations of the mandatory claims submission policy and a list of the top 50 violators, by State, of the mandatory claim submission policy.
- Contractors are encouraged to educate providers and suppliers that they must be enrolled in the Medicare program before they submit claims for services furnished or supplied to any Medicare beneficiary
Medicare Beneficiary Resources
- Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) tests