Hunan Government Lowers COVID-19 Nucleic Acid Testing Fees

It was learned from the Hunan Healthcare Security Administration on August 11 that, the cost of COVID-19 nucleic acid testing in Hunan Province has dropped.

On August 10, the Hunan Healthcare Security Administration, the Health Commission of Hunan Province, and the Administration for Market Regulation of Hunan Province, jointly issued the “Notice on Further Regulating the Price Items of COVID-19 Nucleic Acid Testing and Medical Services”. It took effect since August 11, to effectively improve the testing efficiency of the COVID-19, reduce the burden of the people's testing costs, regulate the price of COVID-19 nucleic acid testing, and implement epidemic prevention and control measures.

The “Notice” clarified that the COVID-19 nucleic acid test charge standard in tertiary public hospitals is “50 yuan plus nucleic acid amplification reagent fee (zero markup)”, and that in secondary public hospitals is “43 yuan plus nucleic acid amplification reagent (zero markup)”. According to the needs of the anti-epidemic work, when implementing mixed inspections (including individual mixed sampling testing and large-scale group screening) in accordance with the technical requirements and standards of provincial healthcare authorities, each sample is charged 20 yuan/person (all-inclusive), and the mixed inspection does not distinguish the level of medical institutions. The medical insurance payment policy is only effective for hospitalization, which is included in the reimbursement scope according to 100% of Class A.

It was understood that the current average price of nucleic acid amplification reagents in Hunan Province is 8.41 yuan. In other words, the price (single test) of the COVID-19 nucleic acid test in the tertiary or first-class public hospitals in Hunan Province is 58.41 yuan/person, while the price in the secondary or second-class public hospitals is 51.41 yuan/person. “Previously, the average price of COVID-19 nucleic acid testing in tertiary and secondary public hospitals was 69.1 yuan/person and 62.1 yuan/person, respectively,” a person in charge of the Pharmaceutical Price and Bidding and Purchasing Division of the Hunan Healthcare Security Administration remarked.

The “Notice” required that when public medical institutions conduct mixed testing, they should regulate their prices, charge fees based on the facts, and strictly prohibit the use of mixed testing plus single testing fees.

Source: enghunan.gov.cn