April 15, 2020 / Susan Morse, Managing Editor
Medicare will nearly double the payment for certain lab tests that use high-throughput technologies to rapidly diagnose large numbers of 2019 Novel Coronavirus cases, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced today.
Medicare will pay the higher payment of $100 for COVID-19 clinical diagnostic lab tests making use of high-throughput technologies developed by the private sector that allow for increased testing capacity, faster results, and more effective means of combating the spread of the virus, CMS said. 
Medicare will pay laboratories for the tests at $100 effective April 14, through the duration of the COVID-19 national emergency.