Clinical Lab Fees On Travel Allowances & Specimen Collection Fees
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) updated payment rates for travel allowances and specimen collection fees when billed on a per mileage basis using Health Care Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) code P9603 and when billed on a flat rate basis using HCPCS code P9604 for 2016.
Payment of the travel allowance is made only if a specimen collection fee is also payable. The travel allowance is intended to cover the estimated travel costs of collecting a specimen including the laboratory technician’s salary and travel expenses. The per mile travel allowance is to be used in situations where the average trip to the patients’ homes is longer than 20 miles round trip.
The per flat-rate trip basis travel allowance is $9.90
