NHA issues guidelines for empaneled ICMR accredited labs for COVID-19 testing

The National Health Authority (NHA) has released guidelines for ICMR accredited private laboratories for empanelment with national health insurance scheme-- Ayushman Bharat- Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojna (AB -PMJAY).

During the crisis of COVID19 pandemic, these laboratories will help PMJAY beneficiaries to get the COVID-19 testing facility, said a senior NHA official.

The guidelines stated: "The NHA shall be approving the empanelment of laboratories in those states which are not implementing AB-PMJAY at present viz Telangana, West Bengal, Delhi and Odisha."

Modules for empanelment of the labs have been developed and at present NHA has decided to empanel only ICMR registered labs, as only they are authorised to conduct the test for COVID-19 infection, it said.

Dr JL Meena, General Manager, Hospital Networking and Quality Assurance at AB-PMJAY confirmed the development. He said: "NHA has opened a process for empanelment of ICMR accredited laboratories to COVID19 testing at affordable rates for beneficiaries of AB-PMJAY admitted due to COVID-19 or SARI like symptoms. First, Laboratory, which has been emplaned with the national health scheme is-- Apollo Health and Lifestyle Ltd Diagnostics Laboratory, Tirumalagiri - Hyderabad, Telangana."

These labs should have the facility of RT PCR test to detect Covid. Till now, 13 labs are already applied and are in process for empanelment, he said.

"Any laboratory applying for empanelment must be ICMR accredited and will be currently empanelled only for COVID-19 RT PCR test and COVID-19 antibody test only,'' Dr Meena said

Considering the ground situation and to minimize the time for processing the application, the states and UTs may request for empanelment with minimum details and documents. To speed up the process of empanelment, the approval may be given by CEO, SHA or officer authorized by CEO, after verification of ICMR registration of Lab.

In case CEO, SHA has approved the empanelment, the process of scrutiny at the district level may be done post facto as per the instructions of state health authority (SHA). After the empanelment request by a laboratory is filed, the application shall be scrutinized by NHA within 4 days.

"The primary fact that will be verified will be the ICMR registration of the Laboratory. However NHA reserves the right to check any other detail as it deems fit," it read further.

Laboratory will be intimated as soon as a decision is taken regarding its empanelment and the same will be updated on the AB-PMJAY web portal. If the application is rejected, the laboratory will be intimated of the reasons based on which it was not accepted and the laboratories can approach the Grievance Redressal Mechsm for remedy, stated the guidelines.

In case the laboratory chooses to withdraw from the health insurance scheme, it will only be permitted to re-enter/ get re-empanelled under AB-PMJAY after a period of six months. If a laboratory is blacklisted for a defined period due to fraud/abuse, after following due process, it can be permitted to re-apply after cessation of the blacklisting period or revocation of the blacklisting order, whichever is earlier, the guidelines stated.

( With inputs from ANI )