**Purpose**

Urine drug testing (UDT) provides timely, objective, and actionable
information to clinicians by identifying the presence or absence of drugs of
potential abuse in the body to assist the clinician in making treatment
decisions.1

This policy details:

  * The appropriate indications and allowed number of UDTs billed over time for safe medication management of prescribed substances in risk stratified pain management patients and/or in identifying and treating substance use disorders (SUDs);
  * Designates documentation, by the clinician caring for the beneficiary in the beneficiary's medical record, of medical necessity for, and testing ordered on an individual patient basis;
  * Provides an overview of presumptive UDT and definitive UDT testing by various methodologies.

This policy addresses UDT for Medicare patients only.

**Definitions**

As used in this document, the following terminology relates to the basic forms
of UDT:

  1. **Presumptive/Qualitative Drug Testing** (hereafter called "presumptive" UDT) - Covered when medically necessary to immediately determine the presence or absence of drugs or drug classes in a urine sample. Presumptive UDT results are expressed as negative or positive or as a numerical result; includes competitive immunoassays (IA) and thin layer chromatography.2
  2. **Definitive/Quantitative/Confirmation Testing** (hereafter called "definitive" UDT) - Covered when clinically indicated and medically reasonable and necessary based on this Local Coverage Determination (LCD) to identify specific medications, illicit substances and metabolites. Definitive UDT reports the results of analytes absent or present typically in concentrations such as ng/mL; definitive methods include but are not limited to Gas Chromatography coupled with Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) and Liquid Chromatography coupled with Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) testing methods.2
  3. **Specimen Validity Testing** \- Urine specimen testing to ensure that it is consistent with normal human urine and has not been adulterated or substituted, may include, but is not limited to pH, specific gravity, oxidants and creatinine. This however is quality assurance, not a Medicare benefit, and thus not separately payable by Medicare.
  4. **Immunoassay (IA)** \- Ordered by clinicians primarily to identify the presence or absence of drug classes and some specific drugs; biochemical tests that measure the presence above a cutoff level of a substance (drug) with the use of an antibody; read by photometric technology.2
  5. **Point of Care Testing (POCT)** - Covered when medically necessary by clinicians caring for the beneficiary for immediate test results for the immediate management of the beneficiary; available when the beneficiary and physician are in the same location; IA test method that primarily identifies drug classes and a few specific drugs; platform consists of cups, dipsticks, cassettes, or strips; read by the human eye, or read by instrument assisted direct optical observation.3
  6. **Standing Orders** \- Test request for a specific patient representing repetitive testing to monitor a condition or disease for a limited number of sequential visits; individualized orders for certain patients for pre-determined tests based on historical use, risk, and community trend patient profiles; clinician can alter the standing order. *Note: A profile is developed based on specific characteristics of a specific patient, while a panel is a general non-specific group of tests that may have unnecessary tests for the specific patient being treated.
  7. **Blanket Orders** \- Test request that is not for a specific patient; rather, it is an identical order for all patients in a clinician's practice without individualized decision making at every visit.
  8. **Reflex Testing** \- Laboratory testing that is performed "reflexively" after initial test results to identify further diagnostic information essential to patient care. This testing is not necessarily based on a specific physician's order. 

**Drug Testing Methods**

The Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) regulates laboratory
testing and requires clinical labs to be certified by their state as well as
the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) before they can accept
human samples for diagnostic testing.3 Multiple types of CLIA certificates may
be obtained based on the complexity of testing a lab conducts. CLIA levels of
complexity (CLIA-waived, moderate complexity and high complexity) are
addressed only as they correspond to the Healthcare Common Procedure Coding
System (HCPCS) code description in the related billing and coding article.

A. **Presumptive Testing Methods:**

  1. **Presumptive UDT:**

****

A presumptive UDT consists of various platforms including cards, dipsticks,
cassettes and cups based on qualitative competitive IA methodology with 1 or
more analytes in the test. A presumptive IA test detects the presence of the
amount of drug/substance present in urine above a predetermined "cut-off"
value and may be read by direct optical observation or by instrument assisted
direct optical observation.

****

A positive test result is reported when the concentration of drug is above the
cutoff; a negative is reported when the concentration of drug is below the
cut-off. Positive test results are presumptive but not necessarily definitive
due to sensitivity and cross-reactivity limitations.4 Negative test results do
not necessarily indicate the absence of a drug or substance in the urine
specimen.3 The accuracy of the results of a presumptive UDT will depend on the
testing environment, type of test, the drug being tested for and training of
the individual conducting the test.

This type of test should only be used when results are needed immediately.

****

  2. **Presumptive UDT by Instrumented Chemistry Analyzers:**

****

Chemistry analyzers with IA UDT technology can be used in an office or
clinical laboratory setting. This test provides less immediate test results.
At no time is IA technology by chemistry analyzer analysis considered
confirmatory (definitive) testing.

****

A presumptive positive IA test detects the presence of a drug/substance in
urine at or above the "cut-off" value. If the concentration of the drug is
below the cut-off, the result will be negative. Presumptive positive tests are
not always true positives due to sensitivity, specificity, and cross-
reactivity limitations. Negative test results do not necessarily indicate the
absence of a drug or substance in the urine specimen.3

****

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved/cleared test platforms are
available in the marketplace, as well as laboratory developed tests (LDTs)
such as modified FDA approved/cleared and non-FDA approved/cleared platforms
and/or reagents. LDTs generally have been modified to test at a lower cut-off
in order to detect substances that would have been missed at a higher cut-off.
For example, an FDA labeled cut-off may be 300 ng/mL and the LDT cut-off for
the same drug may be 100 ng/mL.3

****

Presumptive UDT can be carried out at any validated cut-off concentration.
Lowering of the cut-off concentration provides more stringent cutoffs for
illicit drugs. LDTs may include non-FDA cleared tests not available in CLIA-
waived or moderate complexity tests (e.g., tramadol, tapentadol, carisoprodol,
fentanyl, zolpidem). Lowering the cutoff increases the possibility of
detecting a drug when the test has been modified from the recipe of the
manufacturer.

  3. **Limitations of Presumptive UDT:**

****

Presumptive UDT testing is limited due to:

****

  *     * Primarily screens for drug classes rather than specific drugs, and therefore, the practitioner may not be able to determine if a different drug within the same class is causing the positive result;
    * Produces erroneous results due to cross-reactivity with other compounds or does not detect all drugs within a drug class;5
    * Given that not all prescription medications or synthetic/analog drugs are detectable and/or have assays available, it is unclear as to whether other drugs are present when some tests are reported as positive;
    * Cut-off may be too high to detect presence of a drug.5

****

These limitations may mean that presumptive testing is insufficient for
certain clinical needs.

****

An IA involves an antibody that reacts best with the stimulating drug and
reacts to a lesser extent (cross-reactive) or not at all with other drugs in
the drug class. While presumptive tests vary in their ability to detect
illicit drugs such as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cocaine,
3,4-methylenedioxy-N- methylamphetamine (MDMA; "ecstasy"), and phencyclidine
(PCP), they may not be optimal tests for many prescription drugs, such as:
opiates, barbiturates, benzodiazepines and opioids.

****

For example, opiate reagents are formulated from morphine. Consequently, the
cross-reactivity for other opioids and opiates varies based on the
manufacturer and lot number. The semisynthetic opioids, hydromorphone and
hydrocodone, may contribute to a positive presumptive result, while the
semisynthetic opioids, oxycodone and oxymorphone, will not typically be
detected even at a 300 ng/mL cutoff. Synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl,
meperidine and methadone, will not be detected by current opiate IA testing.
Consequently, a positive opiate result by IA normally necessitates more
specific identification of the substance(s) that account for the positive
result, and a negative result does not rule out the presence of opiates or
opioids.6

Presumptive UDT reagents for benzodiazepine are typically formulated for
oxazepam, a metabolite of diazepam (Valium) and chlordiazepoxide (Librium),
the main benzodiazepines prescribed 20 years ago. However, many of the more
than 10 benzodiazepines that are currently available do not cross-react with
IA benzodiazepine reagents. In particular, clonazepam and lorazepam give false
negative results with presumptive IA tests and may necessitate more specific
identification to account for the negative result. Similarly, a positive
screening test result may require definitive UDT to identify the specific
drug(s).

****

Synthetic/analog or "designer" drugs manufactured to elude law enforcement
require definitive testing for detection. Most commercially available IA
reagents fail to detect designer drugs, such as psychedelic phenethylamines
even at very high concentrations.

In summary, presumptive IA UDT is often unable to identify specific drugs
within many drug classes, particularly within the amphetamine, barbiturate,
benzodiazepine, tricyclic antidepressants, and opiate/opioid drug classes.
Drugs such as buprenorphine, amphetamines, benzodiazepines, and cocaine/heroin
yield false negative IA results due to low cross-reactivity or non-reactivity.
Drugs such as fentanyl, carisoprodol, tramadol, tapentadol and synthetic
designer drugs cannot be detected by presumptive IA; therefore, it may be
medically necessary for clinicians to utilize definitive UDT when the
presumptive tests for these drugs are negative.1,5

B. **Definitive UDT:**  
  
GC-MS and LC-MS/MS are complex technologies that use the separation
capabilities of gaseous or liquid chromatography with the analytical
capabilities of mass spectrometry. These methodologies require the competency
of on-site highly trained experts in this technology and interpretation of
results. While these tests require different sample preparation and analytical
runs, they identify specific drugs, metabolites, and most illicit substances
and report the results as absent or present typically in concentrations of
ng/mL.2  
  
Quantification should not be used to determine adherence with a specific
dosage or time of dose of a pain medication or illicit drug for clinical
purposes. Rather, the use of quantitative drug data may be important for many
reasons such as in a differential patient assessment.1 For example, when
several opioids are present in the urine of a patient prescribed a single
opioid, quantification may help the clinician decide whether the presence of
the other opioids is consistent with metabolism of the prescribed opioid,
opioid contamination during manufacturing, or if more than 1 drug within a
class is being used.  
  
Quantification may also provide information in the setting of illicit drug
use. Serial creatinine-corrected quantitative values may assist in the
differential assessment of ongoing drug use or cessation of drug use with
continued drug excretion.1

  1. **GC-MS**

GC-MS can only be performed on molecules that are volatile. If the test drug
is not volatile in its own right, it must be modified or derivatized to a
volatile form. To derivatize, the test drug must be extracted from the urine,
eluted from the extraction device, concentrated, and then reacted with a
chemical reagent to make a volatile product. Each drug class may require a
different derivatizing agent. For patients on multiple classes of medications,
laboratories using GC procedures must make different volatile derivatives in
order to perform comprehensive testing. Since a GC column may not be able to
separate more than 1 class of compounds, multiple chromatographic runs on
different column types may be required to monitor multiple drug classes.1
Newer GC-MS instruments often use tandem systems. GC-MS methodology allows for
the testing of multiple substances but differs in ease of run.

  2. **LC-MS/MS**

LC-MS/MS is roughly 100 times more sensitive and selective, involves fewer
human steps, provides quicker turn-around time, uses less specimen volume and
can test for a larger number of substances simultaneously when compared to GC-
MS.1 After sample preparation, it is injected into the LC-MS/MS. The sample
has to undergo hydrolysis to break the glucuronide bond that frees the drug
and drug metabolites. Hydrolysis is followed by multiple additional steps
including protein precipitation, centrifugation and purification. Deuterium-
labeled isotopic internal standards are added to quantify the drugs and drug
metabolites.

****

The sample is injected when the mobile phase is flowing through the
chromatographic column. Each drug and drug metabolite interacts with the
mobile phase and stationary phase differently and moves at different speeds
depending on their chemical properties. In other words, each analyte elutes at
different times. Specific drugs and metabolites are identified by their
retention time and quantified against isotopic internal standards for each
drug and metabolite. Each drug peak has a minimum of 2 mass transmissions to
be compared to drug standards (calibrators) to ensure identification.

**CLIA-Certified Laboratories-Informational Only**

CLIA specifies quality standards for proficiency testing, facility
administration, general laboratory systems, pre-analytic, analytic and post-
analytic systems, onsite supervision requirements, personnel qualifications
and responsibilities, quality control, and quality assessment.3  
  
High complexity laboratories must ensure that testing is carried out by onsite
qualified, trained personnel using validated reliable methods compliant with
regulatory procedures (42 CFR Part 493). Both GC-MS and LC-MS/MS require a
quality program to monitor the quality and audit the competency of the staff.
LC-MS/MS instrument maintenance must be performed daily as well as the
validation of instrument performance prior to patient specimens. Final review
and approval of GC-MS and LC-MS/MS results must be performed by a qualified
clinical laboratory scientist as defined in 42 CFR Part 493.1489 (Testing
Personnel Qualifications). A GC-MS or LC-MS/MS laboratory must have a
qualified laboratory director, qualified physician, or qualified clinical
laboratory scientist, as provided in 42 CFR 493.1443 (Laboratory Director
Qualifications).

**Purpose of UDT:**

Presumptive UDT may be ordered by the clinician caring for a beneficiary when
it is necessary to rapidly obtain and/or integrate results into clinical
assessment and treatment decisions.

Definitive UDT is considered reasonable and necessary when the clinical
information supplied supports the definitive testing as in:

  * Identifies a specific substance or metabolite that is inadequately detected by a presumptive UDT screen; 
  * Definitively identifies specific drugs in a large family of drugs;
  * Identifies a specific substance or metabolite that is not detected by presumptive UDT such as fentanyl, meperidine, synthetic cannabinoids and other synthetic/analog drugs;
  * Identifies drugs when a definitive concentration of a drug is needed to guide management (e.g., discontinuation of THC use according to a treatment plan);
  * Identifies a negative or confirms a positive presumptive UDT result that is inconsistent with a patient's self-report, presentation, medical history, or current prescribed pain medication plan;
  * Rules out an error as the cause of a presumptive UDT result;
  * Identifies non-prescribed medication or illicit use for ongoing safe prescribing of controlled substances; and
  * For use in a differential assessment of medication efficacy, side effects, or drug-drug interactions.

Definitive UDT may be reasonable and necessary based on patient specific
indications, including historical use, medication response, and clinical
assessment, when accurate results are necessary to make clinical decisions.1
**To establish that a test is reasonable and necessary, the clinician 's
rationale for the definitive UDT and the tests ordered must be documented in
the patient's medical record.**

**Drug Testing Panels**

  1. **Presumptive UDT Panels**

Presumptive UDT typically involves testing for multiple analytes based on the
specific beneficiary's clinical history and risk assessment. This information
must be documented in the medical record. Presumptive UDT may be ordered as a
panel and billed as a "Per Patient encounter" regardless of the number of
analytes tested.

  2.   **Definitive UDT Panels**

Physician-directed definitive profile testing is reasonable and necessary when
ordered for a particular patient **based upon historical use, clinical
findings and community trends**. However, the same physician-defined profile
is not reasonable and necessary for every patient in a physician's practice.
**Definitive UDT orders should be individualized, based on clinical history
and risk assessment. This information must be documented in the medical
record.**

**Specimen Type**

Urine or oral fluid is the preferred biologic specimen for testing because of
the ease of collection, storage, and cost-effectiveness.1 UDT cannot detect
the dosage of drug ingested/used, the time of use, or the means of delivery
(intravenous vs. oral vs. inhaled). Detection time of a substance in urine is
typically 1-3 days depending on the drug, rate of metabolism, and rate of
excretion. Lipid-soluble drugs, such as marijuana, may remain in body fat and
be detected upwards of a week or more.

**Ethanol is not discussed in this LCD**.

Ethanol is a known drug of abuse but is routinely tested in blood, not urine.
In addition, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Resource Guide7 states
that alcohol is exempt from control by the Controlled Substances Act (CSA).

**Covered Indications for UDT**

**Group A - Symptomatic patients, Multiple drug ingestion and/or Patients with
unreliable history**

A patient who presents in a variety of medical settings with signs or symptoms
of substance use toxicity will be treated presumptively to stabilize the
patient while awaiting presumptive, then definitive testing to determine the
cause(s) of the presentation. The need for definitive UDT is based upon
presumptive test findings, responses to medical interventions, and treatment
plan.1 A presumptive UDT should be performed as part of the evaluation and
management of a patient who presents in an emergency room or urgent care
setting with any 1 of the following:

  *     * Coma;
    * Altered mental status in the absence of a clinically defined toxic syndrome or toxidrome;
    * Severe or unexplained cardiovascular instability (cardiotoxicity);
    * Unexplained metabolic or respiratory acidosis in the absence of a clinically defined toxic syndrome or toxidrome;
    * Seizures with an undetermined history; or 
    * To provide antagonist to specific drug(s).

The presumptive findings, definitive drug tests ordered, and reasons for the
testing must be documented in the patient's medical record.

**Group B - Diagnosis and treatment for substance abuse or dependence**

A patient in active treatment for a SUD or monitoring across different phases
of recovery may undergo medical management for a variety of medical
conditions. A physician who is writing prescriptions for medications to treat
either the SUD or other conditions may need to know if the patient is taking
substances which can interact with prescribed medications or if the patient is
taking prescribed medications as expected.1 The risk of drug-drug interactions
is inherent to the patient and may be compounded by prescribed medications.
UDT is a medically necessary and useful component of chemical dependency
diagnosis and treatment. The UDT result influences treatment and level of care
decisions.3 Ordered tests and testing methods (presumptive and/or definitive)
must match the stage of screening, treatment, or recovery; the documented
history; and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V)
diagnosis. For patients with no known indicators of risk for SUDs, the
clinician may screen for a broad range of commonly abused drugs using
presumptive UDT. For patients with known indicators of risk for SUDs, the
clinician may screen for a broad range of commonly abused drugs using
definitive UDT. For patients with a diagnosed SUD, the clinician should
perform random UDT at random intervals to properly monitor the patient.3
Testing profiles must be determined by the clinician based on the following
medical necessity guidance criteria:

  *     * Patient history, physical examination, and previous laboratory findings; 
    * Stage of treatment or recovery;
    * Suspected abused substance;
    * Substances that may present high risk for additive or synergistic interactions with prescribed medication (e.g., benzodiazepines, alcohol).

The patient's medical record **must include an appropriate number of UDTs
billed over time based on the stage of screening, treatment, or recovery;** 9
** the rationale for the drugs/drug classes ordered; and the results must be
documented in the medical record and used to direct care.**3

**1\. Maximum Number of Allowed Presumptive UDTs for SUD**

The number of UDTs billed over time must meet medical necessity and be
documented in the patient's medical record.8

  1.     1.       1. For patients with **0 to 30 consecutive days of abstinence** , presumptive UDT is not to exceed 3 presumptive UDTs in a rolling 7 days. More than 3 presumptive UDTs in a rolling 7 days is not reasonable and necessary and is not covered by Medicare.
      2. For patients with **31 to 90 consecutive days of abstinence** , presumptive UDT is not to exceed 3 presumptive UDTs in a rolling 7 days. More than 3 presumptive UDTs in a rolling 7 days is not reasonable and necessary and is not covered by Medicare.
      3. For patients with **> 90 consecutive days of abstinence**, presumptive UDT is not to exceed 3 presumptive UDTs in a rolling 30 days. More than 3 presumptive UDTs in a rolling 30 days is not reasonable and necessary and is not covered by Medicare.

**2\. Maximum Number of Allowed Definitive UDTs for SUD**

Depending on the patient's specific substance use history, definitive UDT to
accurately determine the specific drugs in the patient's system may be
necessary. Definitive testing may be ordered when accurate and reliable
results are necessary to integrate treatment decisions and clinical
assessment. The number of UDTs billed over time and the rationale for
definitive UDT must be documented in the patient's medical record.

  1.     1.       1. For patients with **0 to 30 consecutive days of abstinence** , definitive UDT is not to exceed 1 definitive UDT in a rolling 7 days. More than 1 definitive UDT in a rolling 7 days is not reasonable and necessary and is not covered by Medicare.
      2. For patients with **31 to 90 consecutive days of abstinence** , definitive UDT is not to exceed 3 definitive UDTs in a rolling 30 days. More than 3 definitive UDTs in a rolling 30 days is not reasonable and necessary and is not covered by Medicare.
      3. For patients with **> 90 days of consecutive abstinence**, definitive UDT is not to exceed 3 definitive UDTs in a rolling 90 days. More than 3 definitive UDTs in a rolling 90 days is not reasonable and necessary and is not covered by Medicare.

**Group C - Treatment for patients on chronic opioid therapy (COT)**

A physician who is writing prescriptions for medications to treat chronic pain
can manage a patient better if the physician knows whether the patient is
consuming another medication or substance, which could suggest the possibility
of SUD or lead to drug-drug interactions. Additionally, UDT may help the
physician monitor for medication adherence, diversion, efficacy, side effects,
and patient safety in general.10 A broad cross section of the general
population will develop either cancer pain syndrome or non-cancer pain which
will require prolonged or chronic opioid therapy for management with normal
risk of addiction inherent to the substance(s) exposed.11

**1\. COT UDT Testing Objectives:**

  1.     1.       1. Identifies absence of prescribed medication and potential for abuse, misuse, and diversion;
      2. Identifies undisclosed substances, unsanctioned prescription medication, or illicit substances;
      3. Identifies substances that contribute to adverse events or drug-drug interactions;
      4. Provides objectivity to the treatment plan;10
      5. Reinforces therapeutic compliance with the patient;
      6. Provides additional documentation demonstrating compliance with patient evaluation and monitoring;12
      7. Provides diagnostic information to help assess individual patient response to medications (e.g., metabolism, side effects, drug-drug interaction, etc.) over time for ongoing management of prescribed medications.

**2\. Medical Necessity Guidance:**

Criteria to establish medical necessity for UDT must be based on patient-
specific elements identified during the clinical assessment, documented by the
clinician in the patient's medical record and minimally include the following
elements13:

  *     *       * Patient history, physical examination and previous laboratory findings;
      * Current treatment plan;
      * Prescribed medication(s); and
      * Risk assessment plan

National pain organizations, physician societies, and the Federation of State
Medical Boards14 recommend a practical management approach to definitive UDT
for COT. The number of UDTs billed over time beyond the baseline presumptive
UDT must be based on individual patient needs substantiated by documentation
in the patient's medical record.

Recommendations for the ordering of presumptive and definitive UDT for
patients on COT are as follows:

**a. COT Baseline Testing:**

  *     *       *         * Depending on the patient's specific circumstances, initial presumptive and/or definitive COT patient testing may include amphetamine/methamphetamine, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, cocaine, methadone, oxycodone, tricyclic antidepressants, tetrahydrocannabinol, opioids, opiates, heroin, and synthetic/analog or "designer" drugs.

**b. COT Monitoring Testing:**

  *     *       *         * Ongoing testing may be medically reasonable and necessary based on the patient history, clinical assessment, including medication side effects or inefficacy, suspicious behaviors, self-escalation of dose, doctor-shopping, indications/symptoms of illegal drug use, evidence of diversion, or other clinician documented change in affect or behavioral pattern.15 As part of the clinical evaluation of the patient, the provider should inquire about prescription compliance and potential issues of abuse or diversion such as lost prescriptions, early refill requests, or requests for escalating dose of medication.15 The number of UDTs billed over time must be based on the individual's risk potential.1 Appropriate number of UDTs billed over time based on risk is listed in the table below.13
        * The clinician should perform random UDT at random intervals to properly monitor a patient.16  UDT does not have to be associated with an office visit.
        * Patients with specific symptoms of medication aberrant behavior or misuse may be tested in accordance with this document's guidance for monitoring patient adherence and compliance during active treatment (<90 days) for substance use or dependence.

**UDT Frequency Based on Validated Risk Assessment and Stratification*:**

Testing must be based on clinician's documented medical necessity and reviewed
by the clinician in the management of prescribing/renewing a controlled
substance for every risk group outlined below.

**Risk Group** | **Baseline** | **Frequency of Testing**  
---|---|---  
**Low Risk** | Prior to  
Initiation of  
COT | Presumptive and definitive UDT not to exceed 2 times each in a rolling
365 days for prescribed medications, non-prescribed medications that may pose
a safety risk if taken with prescribed medications, and illicit substances
based on patient history, clinical presentation, and/or community usage.  
**Moderate Risk** | Prior to  
Initiation of  
COT | Presumptive and definitive UDT not to exceed 2 times each in a rolling
180 days for prescription medications, non-prescribed medication that may pose
a safety risk if taken with prescribed medications, and illicit substances,
based on patient history, clinical presentation, and/or community usage.  
**High Risk** | Prior to Initiation of COT | Presumptive and definitive UDT
not to exceed 3 times each in a rolling 90 days for prescribed medications,
non-prescribed medications that may pose a safety risk if mixed with
prescribed and illicit substances based on patient history, clinical
presentation and/or community usage.  
  
*Note: Any additional definitive UDT beyond recommendations above must be justified by the clinician in the medical situations in which changes in prescribed medications may be needed, such as:

  *     *       *         * Patient response to prescribed medication suddenly changes;
        * Patient side effect profile changes;
        * To assess for possible drug-drug interactions;
        * Change in patient's medical condition or behavior;
        * Patient admits to use of illicit or non-prescribed controlled substance.

**Opioid Risk Tool:**

**The patient 's risk category must be clearly defined in the medical record
and is essential in determining the number of UDTs billed over time and
medical necessity.**

**This tool is used as a suggestion for defining Risk and this document is
just an example. Other tools accepted by the Opioid Use treating community may
be used [example, accepted by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration (SAMHSA)].**

The Opioid Risk Tool (ORT)17 is a brief, self-report screening tool designed
for use with adult patients in primary care settings to assess risk for opioid
abuse among individuals prescribed opioids for treatment of chronic pain.14,15
Patients categorized as high-risk are at increased likelihood of future
abusive drug-related behavior.13 The ORT can be administered and scored in
less than 1 minute and has been validated in both male and female patients,
but not in non-pain populations. This tool should be administered to patients
upon an initial visit prior to beginning opioid therapy for pain management. A
score of 3 or lower indicates low risk for future opioid abuse, a score of 4
to 7 indicates moderate risk for opioid abuse, and a score of 8 or higher
indicates a high risk for opioid abuse.14,17

**Mark each box that applies** | **Female** | **Male**  
---|---|---  
**Family history of substance abuse** |   |  
Alcohol |   |  
Illegal drugs |   |  
Rx drugs |   |  
**Personal history of substance abuse** |   |  
Alcohol |   |  
Illegal drugs |   |  
Rx drugs |   |  
**Age between 16-45 years** |   |  
**History of preadolescent sexual abuse** |   |  
**Psychological disease** |   |  
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD),
Bipolar, Schizophrenia |   |  
Depression |   |  
**Scoring totals** |   |  
  
**Other Covered Services**

1\. Reflex Testing by Reference Laboratories - since reference laboratories do
not have access to patient- specific data, reflex testing under the following
circumstances is reasonable and necessary:

  1.     1. To verify a presumptive positive UDT using definitive methods that include, but are not limited to GC- MS or LC-MS/MS before reporting the presumptive finding to the ordering clinician and without an additional order from the clinician; or
    2. To confirm the absence of prescribed medications when a negative result is obtained by presumptive UDT in the laboratory for a prescribed medication listed by the ordering clinician.

2\. When medical record documentation that is individualized for a particular
patient satisfies medical necessity requirements found elsewhere in this LCD
(e.g., risk assessment, frequency), direct to definitive UDT without a
presumptive UDT may be reasonable and necessary.

3\. Definitive testing to confirm a negative presumptive UDT result, upon the
order of the clinician, is reasonable and necessary in the following
circumstances:

  1.     1. The result is inconsistent with a patient's self-report, presentation, medical history, or current prescribed medication plan (should be present in the sample);
    2. Following a review of clinical findings, the clinician suspects use of a substance that is inadequately detected or not detected by a presumptive UDT; or
    3. When there is an unexpected negative presumptive UDT result, and it is clinically imperative to know if it is truly positive or negative; the medical record should state such.

4\. Definitive testing to confirm a presumptive UDT positive result, upon the
order of the clinician, is reasonable and necessary when the result is
inconsistent with the expected result, a patient's self-report, presentation,
medical history, or current prescribed medication plan.

**Non-Covered Services - therefore not reasonable and necessary services**

1\. Blanket Orders-same orders for all patients in a health care provider's
practice.

2\. Reflex definitive UDT is not reasonable and necessary when presumptive
testing is performed at point of care because the clinician may have
sufficient information to manage the patient. If the clinician is not
satisfied, he/she must determine the clinical appropriateness of and order
specific subsequent definitive testing (e.g., the patient admits to using a
particular drug, or the IA cut-off is set at such a point that is sufficiently
low that the physician is satisfied with the presumptive test result).

3\. Routine standing orders for all patients in a physician's practice are not
reasonable and necessary.

4\. It is not reasonable and necessary for a physician to perform presumptive
POCT and order presumptive IA testing from a reference laboratory. In other
words, Medicare will only pay for 1 presumptive test result per patient per
date of service regardless of the number of billing providers.

5\. It is not reasonable and necessary for a physician to perform presumptive
IA testing and order presumptive IA testing from a reference laboratory.
Medicare will only pay for 1 presumptive test result per patient per date of
service regardless of the number of billing providers.

6\. It is not reasonable and necessary for a reference laboratory to perform
and bill IA presumptive UDT prior to definitive testing without a specific
physician's order for the presumptive testing.

7\. IA testing, regardless of whether it is qualitative or semi-quantitative
(numerical), may not be used to "confirm" or definitively identify a
presumptive test result obtained by cups, dipsticks, cards, cassettes or other
IA testing methods. Definitive UDT provides specific identification and/or
quantification typically by GC-MS or LC-MS/MS. Semi-Quantitative is defined as
a numerical estimation of approximate concentrations.

8\. Drug testing of 2 different specimen types from the same patient on the
same date of service for the same drugs/metabolites/analytes.

9\. UDT for medico-legal and/or employment purposes or to protect a physician
from drug diversion charges.

10\. Specimen validity testing including, but not limited to, pH, specific
gravity, oxidants, creatinine.

Providers should consider the prescribed medications, risk assessment, and
clinical presentation when selecting which tests to order.

There are multiple validated surveys the provider can use as part of routine
assessment of the individual's risk potential for abuse and diversion. These
surveys typically ask the same questions that are part of the routine clinical
assessment. This A/B MAC removed the validated survey requirement as this
should already be part of the required clinical assessment.

Risk assessment is a widely accepted standard by expert treating entities to
be used in clinical treatments and follow-up. The provider shall clearly
define risk assessment as part of the reasonable and necessary criteria for
UDT.