CLIA Program Transitioning to Paperless System for Notifications and Payment

Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) certification is transitioning to a paperless system for receiving fee coupons and certificates and for paying certification fees.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is requiring laboratories to switch to email notifications by March 1, 2026, to start receiving electronic CLIA fee coupons and certificates. After this date, paper fee coupons and CLIA certificates will no longer be available.

CLIA will also move to a completely electronic payment system, requiring all laboratories to pay their CLIA certification fee online through a secure platform hosted by the U.S. Treasury Department.

To switch to electronic notifications or update email addresses, laboratories must do one of the following:

• Provide written notification to their State Agency by email, including the laboratory name, laboratory director or owner’s name, CLIA number, and director or designee’s signature in the email
• Contact their Accreditation Organization (if they are an accredited laboratory) as they can now add or update email addresses for the laboratories they survey
• Fill out the CMS-116 application form and check the box “Receive notifications including electronic certificates via email.”

For questions about the CLIA program, email LabExcellence@cms.hhs.gov.

Source:

https://www.cms.gov/medicare/quality/clinical-laboratory-improvement-amendments