Laboratory Services
TACHC contracts laboratory services with Laboratory Corporation of America (LabCorp). The TACHC/LabCorp lab program has no membership fees. A health center can save up to 70% for lab tests and with over 1,500 customer service centers nationally, all health centers can access high quality technology at an affordable rate.
- LabCorp Responsibilities
- Pricing
- Billing & Invoicing
- Turnaround Time
- Stat Testing
- Courier Service
- Test Reporting
- Supplies
- Phlebotomy
- Visit each health center at least once per month to instruct personnel on proper handling of specimens and billing requirements
- Professional 24/7 telephone consultation services at no extra charge
- Supply each health center a minimum of two LabCorp Professional Fee Schedule Manuals which lists:
- Alphabetical listing of all tests available
- Method
- Normal range
- Specimen requirements (including any special handling requirements)
- Instructions
- Cost
- Turnaround time
- Provide a Sales Representative and Training Sales Representative responsible for servicing that health center
- Install and maintain electronic printers within each health center for ordering tests and/or retrieving results
- A direct interface with the health center’s EMR for reporting lab results
For a list of lab tests available and respective pricing, email grouppurchasing@tachc.org
If a test is not listed at TACHC contract pricing, then the test will be available at 70% less than the price listed in the LabCorp Professional Fee Schedule Manual.
For billing and invoicing:
- Bills directly to Medicaid, Medicare, the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and commercial third parties
- Upon submission of the specimen to LabCorp, the health center will inform LabCorp of the payment source
- Bills the health center directly when requested on the Lab Request Form
- Does not bill the patient directly unless directed by the health center, in writing
- Invoicing submitted to the health center will be health center specific and shall include at least the following information:
- Test name and number
- Patient's name and/or number
- Patient's date of birth
- Order date
- Price
- Total cost of testing for time period
- Payment terms of invoices to LabCorp is within 30 days
- Routine tests results are reported back to the health center within 24 hours
- Pap smears are performed locally and results are reported back to the center in 3-4 days or less for normal results and 7 days or less for abnormal results
- "Panic Value Results" are reported back to the health center on a stat basis via a phone call
- "Multi-Day Analysis" results are reported back to the health center within 24 hours of completion
- Email grouppurchasing@tachc.org for the following LabCorp turnaround time schedules:
- LabCorp district servicing your center
- Center of Molecular Biology Pathology (CMPB)
- Allergy turnaround time schedule for LabCorp in Burlington, NC
- Tests to LabCorp in Burlington, NC, and not being conducted at the district level
- If available, LabCorp can make arrangements to provide stat testing for up to 2% of the total test volume referred by the health center thru a local third-party source
- Expenses associated with stat services will be absorbed by LabCorp, with LabCorp invoicing the health center at the contract rate
- Provided at no extra cost to the health center
- Available Monday thru Friday, except on holidays. May be provided on Saturdays when mutually agreed upon
- Direct pick-up at the health center at least once per day and no earlier than 3:00 pm or at a time mutually agreed upon between the health center and LabCorp in writing
Includes a minimum of these items:
- Laboratory identification
- Date the test was collected
- Date the test was received by LabCorp
- Patient's name and identification number
- Patient's date of birth
- Patient's phone number
- Encounter number
- Ordering provider's name
- Health center or account number
- Test name and number
- Expected normal value
- Actual value
- Highlighted results which are out of range
- Pediatric and adult ranges for each test
- Indications, if any, of mishandling of the specimen
- Laboratory supplies will be provided thru LabCorp for the purpose of collecting, maintaining and transporting of specimens solely submitted to LabCorp, including butterfly needles
- Federal law prohibits laboratory supplies provided by LabCorp to be used for on-site testing by health centers
- LabCorp supplies data receiving equipment to be used solely for communication of results from LabCorp. This equipment is the sole property of LabCorp maintains responsibility for equipment service and maintenance
- LabCorp offers phlebotomy services (Patient Service Technicians or PSTs) to identified locations to supplement health centers at a $3.00 venipuncture fee to be assessed to specified payor
- Sites with PSTs are required to have a LabCorp Patient Specimen Collection Service Agreement on file
