NEWCENTURYLABSEST. 2014

Can Connecticut Clinics Offer Cash-Pay Labs?

Direct Pay, Service Fee, or Self-Managed: what fits Connecticut practices, and where to start.

New Century Labs supports all three billing workflows: Direct PayService FeeSelf-Managed Pricing

Educational overview, not legal advice · Last reviewed July 2026 · Choose a starting point here, then confirm it with counsel.

Plain-English answer

Can Connecticut clinics offer cash-pay labs? Yes. Connecticut allows clinic-set pricing once the required patient disclosures are in place. Direct Pay, where the patient pays the lab directly, is still the simplest way to start.

Three billing workflows

Direct Pay, Service Fee, and Self-Managed Pricing

Simplest starting point

Direct Pay

Patient pays New Century Labs directly for lab testing.

PatientNew Century Labs

Where it fits
Stricter states, Medicare-sensitive workflows, or clinics that want no rebilling burden.
Keep in mind
The clinic never touches the lab bill — New Century Labs bills the patient.
For real clinic work

Service Fee

Clinic may charge a transparent fee for professional/admin services.

PatientNew Century Labs + Clinic fee

Where it fits
Clinics that provide consultation, interpretation, specimen coordination, or care planning.
Keep in mind
Keep the fee tied to services the clinic actually performs.
Requires review

Self-Managed Pricing

Clinic controls patient pricing where state law and payer context allow.

PatientClinicNew Century Labs

Where it fits
Practices in permissive states with counsel-approved billing policies.
Keep in mind
Review with counsel — it may not fit every state or payer context.

Connecticut allows a clinic charge above the lab’s price when the required disclosures are made before billing. The disclosure workflow does the heavy lifting; Direct Pay stays the simplest start.

Recommended starting point for Connecticut clinics

Direct Pay is the simplest path. Self-Managed pricing works once the required patient disclosures are completed before billing.

Connecticut-specific billing considerations

Connecticut requires clear patient disclosure of lab and clinic charges. A charge above lab cost is lawful only when the lab’s charge and the clinic’s amount are disclosed to the patient before billing. For reference, see Connecticut’s statute, Conn. Gen. Stat. § 20-7a(a).

How each workflow fits in Connecticut

WorkflowFit for Connecticut clinics
Direct PayThe simplest path.
Service FeeAn option for the clinic’s own separate work.
Self-ManagedAvailable once the required disclosures are made before billing.

Medicare-sensitive workflows

In Connecticut, Medicare patients usually mean Direct Pay with any clinic fee separate and documented. New Century Labs’ cash-pay workflow is intended for non-covered or patient-requested testing where Medicare is not billed; covered, medically necessary services require a different billing analysis — see our Medicare guide.

Common questions

Can Connecticut clinics offer cash-pay lab testing?

Yes. The real question is which billing workflow, not whether. Most clinics start with Direct Pay: the patient pays the lab directly.

Can a Connecticut clinic charge patients more than the lab’s price?

Yes, if the required disclosures are made before billing: the performing lab, its charge, and your clinic’s amount. Have counsel review the specifics.

What’s the simplest way for a Connecticut clinic to start?

Direct Pay. The patient pays New Century Labs directly and there is nothing to set up. Add a separate service fee for your own work where appropriate.

Sources & review notes

Written by New Century Labs and reviewed for operational accuracy by the New Century Labs team — not reviewed as legal advice. Last reviewed July 2026; laws and payer rules may change. Confirm the right workflow for your practice with your healthcare counsel.

Next step

Talk through the right cash-pay lab workflow for your practice.

Pick the workflow that fits your state and your practice. We’ll help you compare Direct Pay, Service Fee, and Self-Managed Pricing, then confirm it with counsel.