In August 26, 2021, correspondence with UnitedHealth Group Executive Vice President for Clinical Advancement Dr. Lewis Sandy, AACU President Dr. Elliott Lieberman recommended positive coverage policies for Urine PCR testing to cover several CPT codes and ICD-10 diagnosis codes.
The letter notes:
The urine PCR has a higher negative predictive value, the turnaround time is much faster, it is especially sensitive toward polymicrobial pathogens as well as more fastidious organisms, and it can provide valuable information to guide antibiotic therapy. Furthermore, better antibiotic stewardship, decreased emergency room utilization, and fewer hospital admissions will save lives and may reduce annual health care expenditures by more than a billion dollars.