SERVICES
COMPLEMENTARY SUPPLIES
All supplies necessary for the collection and processing of clinical and anatomic pathology specimens are provided. You will be furnished with a starter kit that contains the appropriate supplies and personalized test request forms for your anticipated test usage and volume. Our Field Representatives will thoroughly demonstrate the proper use of collection and submission material in order to assure a minimum number of service problems. They will arrange for provision of any additional information or materials you may require.
COURIER SERVICE
We provide a free daily pickup and delivery service. We will schedule a daily pickup time that is consistent, convenient and appropriate for your office routine. Lock boxes are provided in situations where late specimen pickup is desired to assure all routing of all specimens to the laboratory and office closure may prevent personal delivery or pickup. Our Courier Service Representatives are trained to be prompt, courteous and alert to your service needs. Look here for more info..
PROMPT AND ACCURATE REPORTING
The majority of test results on most procedures are reported within 24 hours. Specimens are processed upon receipt and all report data is reviewed carefully by our technical staff prior to release. When potentially life-threatening, significant abnormalities are detected, we will contact your facility by telephone or attempt to reach pre-designated individuals by pager, if provided to us prior to encounter.
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
Members of our professional staff are always available to assist you and discuss test results, answer questions, or consult in unusual cases.
TECHNICAL QUESTIONS: Laboratory professionals can best respond to questions of a technical nature. To guarantee a thorough and rapid response to your inquiries, please direct questions regarding the following situations to the senior technical personnel in the laboratory:
- Discrepancies between reported results and clinical evidence.
- Procedures or methods used in testing.
REPEAT DETERMINATIONS: Whenever test results appear to be inconsistent with the clinical evaluation of the patient, repeat determinations may be requested at no charge. We normally hold serum specimens for ten to fourteen days, so it is vital that you call immediately for repeat determinations. If the specimen integrity is in question or insufficient specimen remains for repeat determinations, resubmission of a new specimen may be arranged by calling the Customer Service Department. Request forms on resubmitted specimens should be clearly labeled: "NO CHARGE - REPEAT ANALYSIS"
TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR LABORATORY PERSONNEL
Our Field Representatives will arrange for the training of laboratory collection personnel in the proper techniques of patient preparation, specimen collection, processing, handling, storage and transport.
STAT TESTING AND LONGER-TERM TURNAROUND
STAT TESTING: STAT testing is available for immediate need situations. STAT results are typically available within four (4) hours of notification. Due to logistical difficulty of routing STAT specimens to the laboratory in difficult traffic situations, a STAT request should include a home phone or pager number for the requesting physician if the reporting may occur after office hours.
STAT TESTING AND LONG-TERM ASSAYS: Some testing cannot be performed on a STAT basis. Microbiology cultures and multi-component panels cannot be performed on a STAT basis. Most results are available in the morning hours. If you wish these results called to your office during the morning hours, please mark "Phone in AM" on the requisition. Results may also be transmitted via FAX to your office in the early morning if so requested on the requisition and the applicable FAX number is provided.
NOTE: Certain tests require more than 24-hour turnaround for completion. The Customer Service personnel in the laboratory will be glad to answer any questions regarding these tests.
STAT TESTING FEES: Multi-component panels cannot be performed on a STAT basis. Each component (e.g. chemjstry panel, CBC, urinalysis or single test) will be assessed a STAT testing fee of $ 25.00 per test (or component) in addition to the fee for the component requested. If a STAT pickup of the specimen is required, a separate STAT pickup fee of $ 10.00 will be assessed in addition to STAT testing fees.
SPECIMEN TEST REQUISITION
REQUISITION ERRORS: Always check the upper left-hand portion of the specimen test requisition to be sure that the pre-printed physician's name, address and demographics are correct for the submitting account so that laboratory results may be returned to you without delay or error. Please do not use an incorrect requisition form. Notify the Customer Service Department immediately if an error has been made in the request form delivery.
CAPITATED COVERAGE REQUESTS: Certain clinical laboratory provision plans contracted by Health Line Clinical Laboratories, Inc. require capitated coverage. In these instances, it is essential that a special blue CAPITATED COVERAGE REQUEST form be completed with patient's name, plan identification name, and plan identification number (where required) in addition to patient demographics including date of birth and social security or participant number. This is essential to provide documentation of coverage as well as utilization data required by plan providers. All disqualified capitated coverage requests will revert to standard client billing.
STAT fees on capitated coverage requests will be billed to the client.
