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January 01, 2022

Refer your patients to a Designated Diagnostic Provider for lab services

Help patients avoid unnecessary costs for lab services

Health care can be confusing and expensive. One area where we are working to help your patients achieve lower costs is diagnostic services, like labs. Referring your patients to a Designated Diagnostic Provider will help ensure that your patients have the lowest cost for these services.

We have updated benefits for many patients to include a tiered offering that can help verify quality standards are established and patients can save on their out-of-pocket costs. Our Designated Diagnostic Provider benefit lowers your patients’ costs when they are referred to and use a Designated Diagnostic Provider lab.

Why should you refer patients?
The following examples highlight why we are asking you to refer your patients to a Designated Diagnostic Provider lab:

  • Patients who get care from a lab that is NOT a Designated Diagnostic Provider may end up paying as much as 1,000% more.
  • A comprehensive metabolic panel can cost $156 at a non-Designated Diagnostic Provider lab. At a Designated Diagnostic Provider location, these costs could be $10. On average, for members that require monitoring on a quarterly basis, the annual cost difference is $580. 
  • A blood glucose test can cost $80 at a non-Designated Diagnostic Provider lab. At a Designated Diagnostic Provider location, the test could cost $5. For members that require monthly testing, the annual cost difference is $900. 
  • A rapid strep test can cost $56 at a non-Designated Diagnostic Provider lab and could cost $8 in a Designated Diagnostic Provider location. For a family with 2 symptomatic children that require testing, the cost difference is $96.

How to refer your patients to a Designated Diagnostic Provider for lab services

Point of Care Assist
By using Point of Care Assist® directly in your electronic medical records (EMR) workflow, you’ll be able to instantly see Designated Diagnostic Providers and other laboratory care providers in your patient’s network. You can verify labs covered by their benefits, a patient’s benefit plan and estimated out-of-pocket costs.

With this information in your EMR workflow, you can help patients make informed health care decisions and connect them to cost-effective and quality providers. You will have real-time availability to your patient’s health plan information and available locations of care services for the best coverage.          

For more information, visit UHCprovider.com/poca. You can also contact your dedicated network representative with questions. 

Eligibility and benefits
You can also check your members’ plan eligibility by signing in to your One Healthcare ID account.

Questions?
Visit UHCprovider.com/ddp or watch the on-demand course to learn more. You can also contact your dedicated network representative with questions. 

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