Medicare nearly doubles payment for high-throughput diagnostic tests

Medicare will increase payment for certain "high-throughput" COVID-19 diagnostic tests to $100 to expand testing capacity and speed results during the public health emergency, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced yesterday. The tests can process more than 200 specimens a day but require specially trained technicians and more time-intensive processes to assure quality. CMS expects the payment increase to allow laboratories to expand testing, particularly to vulnerable nursing home patients. Medicare administrative contractors previously paid about $51 for these clinical laboratory diagnostic tests under Medicare Part B.