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Medicare Compliance & Reimbursement

Industry Notes:

CMS Waives 5 Additional Lab Tests

Published on Thu Jan 15, 2009

Plus: CMS may expand diagnostic testing coverage for cancer patients' PET scans. You'll have five lab codes that you'll be able to report as "CLIA-waived," thanks to a Dec. 19 CMS transmittal on the matter. According to Transmittal 1652, CMS will now consider these five tests CLIA-waived effective last week (Jan. 1). You'll have to append modifier QW (CLIA-waived test) to these codes, which include the following: • 83036-QW -- DCA Vantage analyzer • 81003-QW -- OneStepPlus urine analyzer • 82274-QW/G0328QW -- Fecal occult blood tests • 80101-QW -- Home check multiple drug cup test • 83986-QW -- VA-SENSE kit. To read the full list of CLIA-waived tests, visit the CMS Web site at www.cms.hhs.gov/transmittals/downloads/R1652CP.pdf.
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