| (a) Purpose. This section details the procedures concerning
the sale of laboratory services by the Department of State Health
Services (department). Certain of these services are set out by rule
with specific charges for each listed service, as found in §73.54
and §73.55 of this title (relating to Fee Schedule for Clinical
Testing and Newborn Screening and Fee Schedule for Chemical Analyses).
Provision of those listed services by the department may or may not
involve a contract, at the department's discretion. Other services,
not found in those fee schedules, that the department elects to sell
will be memorialized in a contract between the department and the
purchaser of such service(s). Entities which the department may contract
with for the sale of laboratory services are limited to those found
at Health and Safety Code, §12.0122. At the department's discretion,
tests designated to be performed at a particular department laboratory
may be performed at any of the department laboratories.
(b) Definition of laboratory services. Laboratory services
include the sale of the following services: the evaluation and/or
testing of samples, and the subsequent reporting of test or evaluation
results for samples submitted to the laboratory; certification, accreditation
or approval of milk and shellfish laboratories and milk analysts;
and special projects. Laboratory Services, as limited by Health and
Safety Code, §12.0122, do not include services related to tissue
and cytology specimens except for pap smears for recipients under
federally funded programs.
(c) Charges. Fees for the sale of laboratory services
found in the fee schedules at §73.54 and §73.55 of this
title were calculated to recover the department's costs associated
with such activities. When laboratory services outside of those fee
schedules are sold under this section, the contract executed for that
sale shall include charges for the services in question which recover
the department's costs associated with such activities.
(d) Other contracts. This section does not affect department
contracts that are not governed by Health and Safety Code, §12.0122.
(e) Fees. A schedule of all fees is available upon
request from the Department of State Health Services, 1100 West 49th
Street, Austin, Texas 78756, (512) 776-7318. It is also available
online in the Manual of Reference Services at http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/lab.
(f) Payment of charges.
(1) The department will determine whether a charge
must be paid with submission of the specimen or whether the department
will bill later for the charge, unless otherwise stated in this section.
(2) A charge paid is non-refundable.
(3) Failure to pay a charge in a timely manner may
result in the department's refusal to accept specimens or samples
until all delinquent charges are paid.
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| Source Note: The provisions of this §73.41 adopted to be effective November 10, 2002, 27 TexReg 10386; amended to be effective April 16, 2006, 31 TexReg 3034; amended to be effective October 10, 2012, 37 TexReg 8020 |
