How In-Office Allergy Testing Can Add a New Revenue Stream to Your Practice

Many practices already see patients with recurring allergy symptoms. When those patients are referred elsewhere for testing, the revenue leaves with them.

In-office allergy testing keeps that service in your practice without needing new patients. Whether it actually adds to your bottom line depends on one thing many practices underestimate: clean, timely billing.

The Revenue Opportunity Starts With Patients You Already Have

Primary care, pediatric, ENT, pulmonology, pain management and multispecialty practices often already have the right patients. They get care in a familiar office, and your practice keeps the visit, the testing and the follow-up.

Testing must be medically necessary and well documented. When it is not, claims get denied. That is why billing needs attention from day one.

What Can One Testing Visit Be Worth

The national Medicare allowance for a common skin prick test is about $3.67 per test before geographic adjustment. Most patients are billed for a maximum of 72 tests. The math is simple: number of tests times $3.67.

• 40 tests: about $147
• 60 tests: about $220
• 72 tests: about $264

These are estimated reimbursement amounts, not guaranteed collections. Payer rates, location, plan rules, patient responsibility and medical necessity all affect the final payment.

Why Offering Allergy Testing In-House Makes Sense

When you refer a patient out for allergy testing, they wait for another appointment, travel to another office and often do not come back to you for follow-up. Offering the test in your own office changes that.

• Patients get tested by a provider they already know and trust
• Testing can be done in a single visit, in a regular exam room
• You keep the follow-up care and the patient relationship
• The revenue stays in your practice instead of going to another office

Getting Started Takes Less Than You Might Think

You do not need new patients or a new department to offer allergy testing. Most practices start with the patients they already see, a trained staff member, basic testing supplies and an exam room they already have.

The one part that should be planned from day one is billing. Getting paid correctly for each test is what turns allergy testing into steady revenue, and that is where STAT Medical Consulting comes in.

How STAT Medical Consulting Can Help

Adding allergy testing to your practice only pays off when the claims get paid. STAT Medical Consulting handles the billing side so your team can focus on patients:

• Insurance verification and authorizations before testing
• Accurate coding and clean claim submission
• Denial follow-up and appeals
• Monthly reports showing what was billed and what was collected

Frequently Asked Questions

How Much Revenue Can In-Office Allergy Testing Generate

Practices can average an additional $250,000 a year. This is an estimate, and the actual amount varies by specialty and patient volume.

Is Allergy Testing Covered by Insurance

Many plans cover medically necessary allergy testing, but requirements vary. Coverage, provider eligibility, test limits and patient responsibility should be confirmed before the service is performed.

Can Primary Care Practices Bill for Allergy Testing

Yes. Primary care, pediatric and other practices can bill for allergy testing when it is medically necessary and properly documented. Payer rules vary, so coverage should be verified before testing.

Why Work With a Billing Company for Allergy Testing

Allergy testing claims have more line items and more payer rules than a typical office visit. A billing company that knows these claims can reduce denials and help you collect what you have earned.