We are a hospital-based laboratory. can we charge Medicare for handling fees to send samples to a reference lab using code 99001?
Hospital-based laboratories sometimes attempt to charge Medicare for handling fees to send samples to a reference lab using a physician code, 99001. Medicare does not pay for handling fees, shipping charges, stat fees, standby fees, or callback fees. CPTs 99000 and 99001 are specific to settings outside the clinical laboratory. The codes represent the cost of handling and transport of specimens by the physician office or skilled nursing facility by non-laboratory personnel. This charge should not be reported by a laboratory in order to cover the cost of a courier service.
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