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Industry Insights

UHC again delays lab test registry rollout to Jan. 1, 2022
Following considerable provider pushback, UHC has delayed the implementation of its Lab Test Registry until Jan. 1, 2022, according to a bulletin on the payer’s website. Labs now must have their tests registered with UHC by Dec. 1, 2021. Just last month, UHC announced the program was being delayed until April 1, 2021. This is the third delay the controversial new program has seen in recent months. Despite its unpopularity, UHC appears intent on moving forward with this experiment, however, they may be hoping to wait out the public health emergency. As a reminder, the program requires freestanding and outpatient hospital lab claims to include unique test codes for in-scope lab test services. The codes will serve as the lab’s unique identifier that a physician would use to order a test (aka “test code, “order code, or “test identifier”). Claims without the codes may be denied. According to UHC’s provider FAQ: “a laboratory test code is a laboratory’s unique identifier that a physician would use to order a test. This should uniquely identify the test offered by the laboratory and correspond to what the physician ordered, whether it was a single test that is ultimately billed as a single procedure code or a test “panel” that ultimately bills as multiple procedure codes.” View UHC’s full FAQ Interested in learning more about coding audits or improving your overall revenue cycle management? Contact us today for a free consultation.  

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