Happy Holidays from the Vibrant Phlebotomy Team!
Following up on last month's newsletter update, we’re excited to share more progress on the Vibrant Concierge Phlebotomy Program! With a growing number of successful orders and positive feedback, our confidence in the product continues to strengthen.
Over the past few months, we’ve worked diligently with the Vibrant IT Development Teams to create the automation necessary to support its functionality and we’re pleased with the results so far. Now we’re focused on gathering more orders to further test and refine the system for even greater success.
Here is an overview of how the program works:
Service Selection and Payment: The Provider or patient selects the Concierge Phlebotomy service and completes the payment of $99
Kit Arrival and Scheduling: Once the patient receives their Blood Collection Kit, they are sent an email prompting them to confirm their address and provide three convenient times for a phlebotomy visit
Phlebotomist Assignment: Vibrant coordinates with a trusted mobile phlebotomist to handle the sample collection and shipping process.
Appointment: The phlebotomist arrives at the scheduled time to perform the blood draw.
Convenience: Patients avoid the hassle of finding a phlebotomist or arranging a blood draw independently
Optional Service: Patients can opt out of this service and choose to arrange their phlebotomy in the traditional way using of blood draw map if they prefer.
Explore Our Resources: For a detailed walkthrough of the program please, check out the videos and articles linked below:
Our primary goal for the program is to offer even more convenience and accessibility. Currently in its Beta phase, the program is available to eligible patients served by providers in select areas across California, Texas, Florida and New Jersey.
As we continue to expand, we’re focused on bringing this program to metro areas in other areas. We’re prioritizing regions where providers place high volumes of orders and where we have adequate mobile phlebotomy coverage to ensure a smooth and effective program.
Join Our Bi-Weekly Vibrant Basic Training Webinar
Everyone is invited to attend our Vibrant Basic Training Webinar. This Webinar is mandatory for all new phlebotomy partners, but it is also open to anyone who wants to learn more about Vibrant’s processes. The Phlebotomy team hosts the webinar every two weeks, with the next session on January 9th, 2025.
In this training, we will cover:
How to correctly complete the Vibrant blood draw form (requisition)
Common causes of specimen rejection and how to avoid them
Proper procedures for shipping Vibrant kits
You can find a list of upcoming training dates at the registration link below. We Look forward to having you join us!
Ongoing ARCpoint and Any Lab Test Now Audits
ARCpoint and Any Lab Test Now are two corporate lab chains with rapidly expanding franchises opening new locations across the Unites States daily. However, these companies often face challenges keeping their locations updated with us, which can lead to inconsistencies in available information regarding which sites are open or closed. To ensure our patients and providers always have the most accurate and up to date details, the phlebotomy team has developed a system to stay informed about these openings and closings.
We regularly check our blood draw maps against data provided by both ARCpoint and Any Lab Test Now to ensure locations are accurately listed. When new locations open, we reach out to the lab to collect the necessary documents, initiate onboarding and add them to our blood draw map.
Please note that when conducting a Find a Phleb search for phlebotomy services, we also use the websites of ALTN and ARCpoint as additional resources and encourage you to do the same. This helps us ensure that any new locations or updates are reflected, as we know some sites may not yet be included in our blood draw center due to the inaccuracies of locations.
FYI: Any Lab Test Now and ARCpoint Pricing
Any Lab Test Now: Vibrant has a national agreement with ALTN Corporate. Patients pay ALTN locations directly $40 for the first 2 tubes and $5 for each additional tube (plus applicable taxes in some cases). However, not all locations are required to participate, so there may be exceptions, and prices can vary.
ARCpoint Labs: Vibrant has a national agreement with ARCpoint Corporate. Vibrant pays $30 for the first 2 tubes, and patients are responsible for $5 per additional tube. Additional fees may apply for “premium draws,” such as aliquoting, depending on the location. As with ALTN, exceptions exist, and prices may vary.
Hospital Labs
In many rural areas, Hospital Labs are often the only brick and mortar locations available for kit collections within miles. However, as mandated by Vasanth, we are no longer listing hospital labs on the blood draw map due to their default insurance billing policies. You may have already noticed that we are actively removing these profiles.
Hospital labs are still a resource for patients when needed and are now solely included in our Find a Phleb database which the Phlebotomy Team maintains. All sales representatives and account managers have access to this database and can use it to locate hospital labs without requiring assistance from the Phlebotomy Team. If you cannot find a suitable option on the Blood Draw Center, this database can be a valuable tool to identify appropriate hospital labs.
It’s important to note that hospitals often have additional requestion requirements, such as restrictions on the ordering provider type or the need for diagnosis codes (ICD-10). ICD-10 codes can only be provided by the ordering provider. If a provider is unsure of which code to use, we can suggest the general “wellness” code, Z00.0, as a reference. However, the final code must come from the provider.
Please also keep in mind that labs may change their policies regarding kit collection at any time. If you encounter a hospital lab that states they cannot collect our kits, please let us know so we can verify and update our records accordingly.
IOP vs. Mobile Phlebotomist: What’s the Difference?
The key difference between an In- Office Phlebotomist (IOP) and a Mobile Phlebotomist comes down to their employment relationship and responsibilities:
In-Office Phlebotomist (IOP): An IOP is part of the provider’s staff, such as a nurse, medical assistant, or in-house phlebotomist. They are paid by the provider as part of their regular duties and already draw blood for all patients when the provider orders lab work. Paying an IOP to collect our kits is both legally and ethically problematic, as it can create a double payment situation, which may violate federal anti-kickback laws.
Mandated Change: To ensure compliance and avoid legal issues, Vasanth has mandated the termination of all existing IOP arrangements.
Mobile Phlebotomist: A Mobile Phlebotomist operates independently or as part of an external company. They are not on the provider’s payroll and are specifically contracted to draw blood. Mobile phlebotomists have no additional responsibilities to the provider beyond the blood draw. For each kit they collect, they submit separate invoices to their respective labs or clients to be paid.
To alleviate this issue, providers can arrange for Mobile Phlebotomists to conduct draw days at their offices. This ensures compliance with federal regulations while still offering patients a convenient option for blood draws without relying on in house phlebotomists.
IOPs are salaried staff drawing blood as part of their regular duties, while mobile phlebotomists are independent professionals who are paid per blood draw. To remain compliant with federal regulations and avoid legal issues, we do not pay IOPs for collecting kits, and all existing IOP agreements are being terminated by Vasanth’s directive.
Provider Office Wanting to Open a Draw Site to the Public: What Are the Rules?
The Phlebotomy team wants to remind everyone that providers have the opportunity to become a designated draw site for Vibrant. However, there are important guidelines to ensure compliance.
Here’s how it works:
Providers must charge the patient directly for kit draws. Vibrant cannot compensate the provider or their staff for performing these draws, regardless of whether the staff is on payroll or not.
Providers will be listed on the Blood draw map as an authorized collection site, allowing patients to access these locations for blood draws. However, please note that we no longer enter into contracts with providers for blood draws. All provider based draw sites are non-contract providers
The Phlebotomy Team will still collect all necessary documents and vet the draw sites as usual. Additionally, collectors must attend the Basic Training Webinar to be listed on the blood draw map.