Empire and Anthem BCBS- Reimbursement Policy Update: Drug Screen Testing (Professional)

Sep 1, 2021 • Policy Updates / Reimbursement Policies

Material adverse change (MAC) notification.

Beginning with dates of service on or after December 1, 2021, Empire BlueCross BlueShield (“Empire”) will update the policy to indicate that separate reimbursement is not allowed for specimen validity testing when utilized for drug screening because it is included in the CPT and HCPCS code descriptions for presumptive and definitive drug testing. Modifiers will not override this edit; therefore, we have included this information in our Distinct Procedural Services (Modifiers 59, XE, XP, XS, XU) reimbursement policy.

Source: https://providernews.empireblue.com/article/reimbursement-policy-update-drug-screen-testing-professional-2