High complexity lab

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Since Medicare dropped its payment for urine drug testing to about 1/5th of what they were paying earlier, some labs have offered to help set up a high complexity lab at the point of care. Please let me know if anyone has established a high complexity lab at the point of care.

One of the analyzer manufacturer has offered to provide the analyzer free of cost (worked in to reagent costs). At the outset it looks like the practice stands to profit from this approach and can provide more accurate UDS results than the cup and dip approach.

Any thoughts appreciated.

 

[drrosenrosen]

We have a high-complexity lab at our office. Still calibrating the mass spec. My partner is a chemistry nerd from before so he's doing all the work on it, but he says it will definitely make us money compared to the moderate complexity (immunoassay) that we already have in place. Since he's been running the practice for 12 years, I trust his assessment of what's worth the investment and what's not. Sorry I can't provide more particulars.

 

[mille125]

We have a high-complexity lab at our office. Still calibrating the mass spec. My partner is a chemistry nerd from before so he's doing all the work on it, but he says it will definitely make us money compared to the moderate complexity (immunoassay) that we already have in place. Since he's been running the practice for 12 years, I trust his assessment of what's worth the investment and what's not. Sorry I can't provide more particulars.

It will definitely be a good investment. Just look at the terms that the lab is offering. That will make or break the deal.

 

[Aether2000]

A high complexity lab requires a pathologist as a medical director. Low and medium complexity labs can be set up with a CLIA waiver for the former and with a training course and certification for the latter.

 

[nvrsumr]

Know a guy in town with one of these "desktop" units. He had a med school buddy pathologist be the "lab director". Requires like an hour a month.

Would love to hear the particulars on cost and reimbursement?

 

[mille125]

A high complexity lab requires a pathologist as a medical director. Low and medium complexity labs can be set up with a CLIA waiver for the former and with a training course and certification for the latter.

yes it does but it is not easy to find someone to cover. They ask for about 800-1000/month which is small change compared to what the lab will generate