CMS Delays Lab Tests Requisition Signature Requirement

CMS has announced it is delaying enforcement of policy included in the 2010 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule final rule requiring a physician’s or qualified nonphysician practitioner’s signature on requisitions for clinical diagnostic laboratory tests paid under the clinical laboratory fee schedule.

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The policy was original supposed to take effect Jan. 1. A requisition is the actual paperwork, such as a form, which is provided to a clinical diagnostic laboratory that identifies the test or tests to be performed for a patient.

 

CMS said it will focus in the first calendar quarter of 2011 on developing educational and outreach materials to educate those affected by this policy. CMS will post this information on its website and disseminate the information to providers.

 

Once the educational campaign is fully underway, CMS will expect requisitions to be signed. A requisition is the actual paperwork, such as a form, which is provided to a clinical diagnostic laboratory that identifies the test or tests to be performed for a patient.

 

Source: CMS.

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