On February 2, 2019, the Pennsylvania Department of Health (Department) released a mandate stating that, effective March 3, 2019, spinal muscular atrophy screening will be included in the newborn screening panel.

Independence complies with this Department mandate, and, in accordance with the requirements of the Affordable Care Act, covers the newborn screening panel without member cost-sharing (i.e., copayments, coinsurance, and deductibles) when commercial members use an in-network provider.

Current policy

Medical Policy #00.06.02x: Preventive Care Services addresses all disorders included in the Pennsylvania newborn screening panel mandated for newborns, using HCPCS code S3620. This policy also includes information on medical necessity criteria for the newborn screening panel.

To view this policy, visit our Medical Policy Portal and select Accept and Go to Medical Policy Online. Then select Commercial and type the policy name or number in the Search field.