Skip to main content

  |  Hearing/speech challenges? Like ADHS on Facebook Read the ADHS Director's Blog Follow ADHS on Twitter Follow ADHS on Google+ Watch ADHS on YouTube Organize and Share ADHS on Pinterest Sign Up for ADHS Email Communications

Office of Newborn Screening

Testing & Specimen Collection – Fees and Payments

The following section describes the structure for collection of fees for the newborn screening program, and includes laboratory analysis, follow-up of abnormal results, parent and provider education, continuous evaluation and quality improvement, and care coordination with medical partners to ensure that infants receive timely diagnosis and early intervention.

The fees are set in Arizona Statute ARS § 36-694.01 and in part states, "The newborn screening program fund is established. The department of health services shall administer the fund. The fund consists of fees collected pursuant to section 36-694 and gifts and donations received by the department."

Testing Fees

Arizona's Newborn Screening test consists of two required screens. The first screen is billed at $30.00 each and the second screen is billed at $40.00 each. Fees support the operation of the Office of Newborn Screening, including follow-up for bloodspot disorders and hearing loss.

First Screen

The first bloodspot screen is billed to and paid for by the submitter (generally a hospital, birthing center or midwife) who sends the first specimen for a baby.

Second Screen

The second bloodspot screen may be billed to and paid for by a hospital, midwife, insurance company or other responsible party (parent or guardian of a newborn).

If a baby is still a hospital inpatient at the time of collection of a second screen, the billing will be to the hospital. If a midwife collects a screen from a baby five or more days old, it will be considered to be a second screen and will be billed at the second screen rate.

Please submit the following insurance information (or a notation that the family does not have insurance) with all second screens which are not billed to a hospital or midwife:

  • Policy holder's name (as shown on the insurance card)
  • Policy holder's date of birth
  • Policy holder's gender
  • Policy holder's employer and employer's address
  • Policy holder's address if different from mother's address
  • Member ID#
  • Group ID#
  • Insurance company's name
  • Insurance company's billing address
  • Insurance company's phone number
  • Notation of whether the insurance is primary or secondary

If this information is not received, staff from the Office of Newborn Screening will contact physicians and facilities to obtain the information.

Recall Screen

After the second screen, a recall test for a specific disorder may be requested in response to an abnormal or borderline result. There is no fee for this test. A supplementary specimen kit should be used to collect the specimen and the Recall box above the Baby's Name field should be marked and the disorder being retested should be written on the line next to the box. Only a test for the requested disorder will be reported. Otherwise, if the specimen is not marked as a recall, if will be considered to be a billable specimen.

Insurance Coverage

Practitioners should encourage parents to add their newborns to their insurance as soon as possible after the birth since insurance payments cannot be made on behalf of infants until they are listed as insured.

Complete insurance information as listed above under Second Screen should be submitted with second screens.

Payment to the Department

The Department will bill for first and second screens at least monthly. Payments are due to the Department within 30 days of the billing date.

Payments should be sent to:
Arizona Department of Health Services
Office of Newborn Screening
PO Box 25046
Phoenix, AZ 85002-5046

For billing questions, please call 602-542-2520 or 602-542-0897.