Some Labs, Doctors Are Overcharging and Overutilizing Urine Drug Testing, PBMs Warn

Urine drug testing has long been hailed as a weapon in the fight against opioid abuse stemming from workers’ compensation, but medical cost-containment experts say some vendors are overusing and overbilling for the procedures. Many national sources, including the Official Disability Guidelines and the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine’s guidelines, call for regular urine drug testing when a patient is taking long-term opioids, especially for chronic pain. ACOEM recommends random testing two to four times per year. Additionally, national organizations ...