decisionhealth Newsletters, Answer Books - 2006 Issue 3 (March)
Program_Memos / 2003 / AB-03-056
Subscribe or sign in to view the full article.
Article Overview
This article summarizes a CMS Program Memorandum about newly approved waived laboratory tests under CLIA and the associated CPT coding updates. It is relevant to laboratory billing, Medicare claims processing, and compliance staff who need to track the effective and implementation dates, applicable coverage references, and the roster of affected waived tests. The article also notes related coverage considerations and attachment-based listing information for multiple point-of-care and home-use tests.
Why This Topic Matters
Accurate identification of waived tests and their associated coding status is important for Medicare claims processing, laboratory compliance, and updating CLIA-covered code files.
Article Sections
-
Program Memorandum Overview
Introduces the CMS Program Memorandum, the transmittal details, subject line, and timing information for the policy update.
-
New Waived Tests and Coding Notes
Explains the addition of newly approved waived tests and the general requirement to track them within CLIA-related code files. It also notes related coverage references and claims-processing considerations.
-
Attachment: Waived Test Listings
Presents the attachment-style listing of waived tests by CPT code, test name, manufacturer, and general use category across multiple laboratory and point-of-care products.
What You Will Learn
- How CMS communicates updates to waived laboratory testing policy
- What types of test categories are included in the waived test attachment
- Which general administrative and claims-processing topics are addressed in the memorandum
- How effective dates and implementation dates are presented in a Medicare program memorandum
Who Should Read This
- Medical coders
- Laboratory billing staff
- Compliance professionals
- Medicare claims processors
- Clinical laboratory managers
Codes Discussed
Modifiers Discussed
Subscribe or sign in to view the full article.


Quick, Current, Complete - www.findacode.com