Facilities that conduct on-site testing under a Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) certificate should alert the staff who handle laboratory mail, invoices, and payments. In an
October 7 special alert, CMS says CLIA-certified laboratories in several states have received third-party solicitations styled as bills or invoices that could be mistaken for official CLIA communications. Reports have come from Iowa, Texas, and Minnesota. The third party is not affiliated with CMS, and its document is not an official CLIA fee or government notice.
What Should Members Do?
- Review before paying. Check the sender, the purpose of the notice, and any fee or payment instructions. Official CLIA communications come from CMS or the State Survey Agency.
- Share the alert with staff responsible for the facility’s CLIA certificate, billing, compliance, and administration.
- Confirm the laboratory’s email address is current with CMS so official electronic CLIA communications reach the right person.
- Verify questions through an independent source. Contact your State Agency CLIA office or email the CMS CLIA Program at LabExcellence@cms.hhs.gov. Certification and survey information is available at no cost through CMS’s QCOR lookup.
CMS also reminds laboratories that it no longer mails paper CLIA certificates or fee coupons and no longer accepts paper checks for certification or survey fees. A mailed request for payment warrants careful verification.
The memo does not create new regulatory requirements. It is a timely prompt to make sure anyone who receives or approves CLIA-related correspondence knows how to verify it before payment.