United Healthcare to Delay Coding Proposal

ASCP is pleased to report that United Healthcare (UHC) is delaying a coding proposal it planned to implement on April 1, 2021. UHC proposed to require clinical laboratories to use a unique, laboratory specific code when submitting reimbursement request. Bills submitted without the code would be denied payment. Laboratory and healthcare organizations have raised objections to the UHC proposal on the grounds that the proposal is burdensome and negatively impacts patient access to care. Even though ASCP supports the delay in implementing the coding proposal, the Society believes that the prospect that UHC still plans to implement it are troubling, especially in light of the fact that laboratory staff everywhere are all-consumed meeting the needs of patients for COVID-19 testing. ASCP will continue to urge payers to ensure unnecessary burdens aren’t imposed that complicate the ability of our members to meet the needs of their patients. 

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