The article below is a top story from this week's ACTION newsletter—Care Providers of Minnesota's weekly newsletter for members. The newsletter focuses on current legislative issues, regulations, long-term care trends, and other Association news. Each Thursday evening, it is delivered to your inbox. To sign up for ACTION, contact Lisa Foss Olson (952-851-2483). To learn more about membership, visit our Become a Member page.
Make sure to review billing guidance for nursing facility staff testing!
By Todd Bergstrom | April 21, 2021 | SNF/NF providers
Care Providers of Minnesota has received updates from members, as well as the Minnesota Department of Health, regarding confusion about who pays for testing of employees.
Due to the overlapping mandates for testing of staff and residents during outbreaks, and of staff based on the positivity rate in the county, late in 2020 the LTC Imperative worked with the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) to clarify how staff testing should be billed when both requirements apply. MDH and DHS reviewed the document,
NF staff & COVID-19 testing payment (December 1, 2020), and confirmed the recommendations for billing staff tests in those situations.
Nursing facilities should review the entire two-page document. In general, if a round of testing covers all staff and residents due to an outbreak, then the lab should bill the staff tests to insurance. If a round of testing covers only staff due to the twice a week staff testing mandate, those tests should be billed by the lab to the facility.
Please contact Todd Bergstrom at the Association office if you have any questions.
Todd Bergstrom | Director of Research & Data Analysis | tbergstrom@careproviders.org | 952-851-2486