Medical Diagnostic Laboratories - FAQ's
The following are the most frequently asked questions under the following categories:
Q1. What are MDL's hours of operation?
A1. You may reach us Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 12:00 midnight EST and Saturday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm EST.
Q2. How long has MDL been in existence?
A2. MDL was founded in 1997 as a specialty infectious disease diagnostic testing laboratory and continues to grow in the highly technical fields of molecular biology, immunology and serology.
Q3. Does MDL have a Research & Development Department?
A3. Yes, our R&D Department specializes in Molecular Biology, Serology, Immunology, Cell Biology and Pharmacokinetics. Please call 877.269.0090 for more information or visit the website main page, subheading Research & Development.
Q4. Can I buy shares of MDL?
A4. No, MDL is a Limited Liability Company and is not publicly traded.
Q5. Is MDL a fully licensed lab?
A5. Yes, MDL is CLIA certified and licensed in many states. MDL is also a Medicare approved lab and participates in CAP proficiency testing.
FAQ's For Billing & Insurance -
Q1. How do I contact someone to discuss my bill?
A1. You may call toll free 877.333.9233 to reach the Billing Department directly. The Billing Department's hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm EST.
Q2. What method of payment do you accept?
A2. MDL accepts check, Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover.
Q3. Does MDL accept Medicare?
A3. Yes. MDL is a CLIA approved laboratory and can file Medicare throughout the United States.
Q4. Does MDL accept Medicaid?
A4. MDL is able to file Medicaid in most states. Please contact our billing department at 877.333.9233 to find out if we accept Medicaid in your state.
Q5. Can I attach insurance information to MDL's test requisition form?
A5. Yes. Please be sure you put the patient's name, ICD-9 code(s), date collected, specimen source, and mark the test(s) requested on the MDL test requisition form. If all the other information is included in the attachment, i.e., patient demographics and insurance information, it is acceptable to attach the information to the test requisition form.
Q6. Do I have to give MDL ICD-9 codes.
A6. If MDL will be filing the claim on behalf of your patient to the insurance company, ICD-9 codes are required.
Q7. What ICD-9 codes do I use for your testing?
A7. You must submit diagnosis codes documented in the patient's chart for the date of service in which the testing was ordered. ICD-9 codes should reflect signs, symptoms, complaints, and reasons for the encounter of your patient. If symptoms are present, but a definitive diagnosis has not yet been determined, code the symptoms.
Q8. What is the billing policy for International patients?
A8. Any patient residing outside the United States must pre-pay for testing with a major credit card or a United States money order.
Q9. What is the pricing of your testing?
A9. To obtain pricing on testing performed by MDL, call our Billing Department at 877.333.9233.
Q10. What is "deductible" on my invoice?
A10. A deductible is the amount a patient pays before the insurance carrier begins paying for a covered service.
Q11. What is "co-insurance" on my invoice?
A11. Co-insurance is the amount a patient pays for a service based on the percentage of an insurance carrier's negotiated fee (up to a yearly defined maximum).
Q12. What is "co-payment" on my invoice?
A12. A co-payment is the amount a patient pays for a service based on the patient's insurance policy with their insurance carrier.
Q13. What is "patient responsibility" on my invoice?
A13. Patient responsibility is the amount a patient pays for a service either because of a discounted service plan or because a patient has exceeded the annual maximum benefit.
Q14. Why do I owe MDL if my insurance has already paid?
A14. Your insurance carrier and policy dictates the benefits that are paid for laboratory services. Regardless if you use an in-network or an out-of-network provider, you could still be responsible for a portion of the services depending on the benefits of your policy. After MDL has received payment from your insurance carrier, if there is a deductible, co-pay, co-insurance, or patient responsibility, you will be billed for that portion. This is the amount you owe to MDL.
FAQ's For Testing Policies & Procedures -
Q1. If a physician needs to add a test to a specimen that has already been submitted. What does the physician need to do?
A1. Testing can be added to a request if the specimen volume permits and it is an allowable time period from specimen collection. All test additions must be in writing and faxed to MDL's QA/QC Department at 609.570.1020. The Test Addition / Cancellation Form is located in your MDL Catalog of Services under the Forms section or you may call MDLs QA/QC Department toll free at 866.814.4751.
Q2. What if the physician needs to cancel a test that was ordered in error?
A2. If MDL has not begun testing of the specimen, complete the Test Addition / Cancellation Form located in your MDL Catalog of Services under the Forms section and fax your request to MDL's QA / QC Department at 609.570.1020. All requests must be in writing. If testing has already been started, unfortunately we are unable to cancel the test.
Q3. How long does a physician have to add on a test?
A3. For blood and other non-Gynecological specimen sources, additional testing can be arranged if the specimen volume permits and it is an allowable time period from specimen collection. For Gynecology swabs, MDL holds the specimen for 30 days.
Q4. What type of specimens does MDL accept?
A4. The specimen type depends upon the testing ordered. For Gynecology testing, the Cellmatics or 
a physician has collected from the cervix, rectum, oral or pharyngeal sites is acceptable. For General testing, blood, serum, urine, semen, biopsy, tick insect, CSF, synovial fluid and biopsy paraffin block may be acceptable specimen types for certain tests. However, to clarify, please contact MDL's Client Services Department at 877.269.0090 to verify which specimens are acceptable for specific tests.
Q5. How do physicians receive results of laboratory tests?
A5. MDL can fax and mail a copy of the results to the physician's office. Additional copies of the test reports can be forwarded to another physician if the ordering physician makes a written request in the designated area of the test requisition form.
Q6. Can MDL send a laboratory test result directly to the patient?
A6. We urge you to contact your ordering physician directly for your
test results so that you can also obtain any necessary result interpretation. If for some reason you are unable to obtain test results through the ordering physician, please contact our client services department toll free at 877.269.0090 to request a records release form. You will need to complete this form with all pertinent information and have it notarized to ensure your identity in attempt to maintain patient confidentiality in accordance with HIPAA requirements.
Q7. How many tubes of blood does a physician need to collect?
A7. Multiple PCR tests can be performed from a single PCR kit, which contains 2 yellow top ACD-A tubes stable at room temperature for 48 hours.
Q1. Can MDL give me an interpretation of my laboratory results?
A1. You must contact your physician for interpretation of your results. Laboratory findings must be correlated with your clinical information that your physician will have.
Q2. Are my results kept confidential?
A2. Yes. MDL is HIPAA compliant and adheres to strict confidentiality of test result information disclosure laws.
Q3. How do I obtain a test kit?
A3. Contact MDL's Client Services Department at 877.269.0090 and request a test kit. You can then take the kit to your physician.
Q4. Why have I received a bill from MDL?
A4. MDL has received information from your ordering physician indicating patient responsibility for testing services. For further information on the specific nature of the bill, please contact MDL's Billing Department at 877.333.9233.
Q5. I have received a bill from MDL, but I have insurance. Can MDL file my claim directly with my insurance company?
A5. MDL received information from your ordering physician indicating patient responsibility or your test order request had incomplete insurance information. Simply attach a copy of your insurance card to your MDL bill and return it. MDL will then file the claim with your insurance company.
FAQ's For Health Care Providers -
Q1. How do I set up an account with MDL?
A1. Contact MDL's Client Services Department at 877.269.0090. They will forward your information to the appropriate sales representative for your area.
Q2. How do I get specimen collection supplies?
A2. Contact your Sales Representative or call MDL's Client Services Department at 877.269.0090 and they can send you all the necessary specimen collection supplies. If you are a current client of MDLs, you can fax your supply request form, located in the Forms section of your MDL Catalog of Services to 609.570.1010.
Q3. Can MDL assist with an interpretation of my patient's laboratory results?
A3. Contact MDL's QA / QC Department at 877.269.0090.
Q4. How do I get my specimens to your laboratory?
A4. For New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania clients, please call 877.269.0090 for courier pick up. For outside of New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania clients, MDL uses DHL or FedEx for courier service. You can call 877.269.0090 to obtain prepaid, preprinted DHL or FedEx Lab Packs.
Q5. Can I access my patient's results over the internet?
A5. MDL is pleased to announce the availability of
our web-based result retrieval system, LabTest.com. Some benefits of utilizing LabTest.com include secure, immediate access to patient results using your existing computer and internet access. Results of tests are posted as soon as they're available and may be sorted by patient name, ID number, date of service, date birth, sex, or accession number. Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption is activated when results are displayed and therefore cannot be intercepted during transmission.
LabTest.com displays easy-to-read, customizable report views which indicate reference ranges and highlight abnormal results in red. To ensure perfect hard copies every time, one report view is "print-ready."
Please click on the following for a full printable version of the FAQ's
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