Direct Pay
Patient pays New Century Labs directly for lab testing.
PatientNew Century Labs
Can Louisiana Clinics Offer Cash-Pay Labs?
Direct Pay, Service Fee, or Self-Managed: what fits Louisiana 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 Louisiana clinics offer cash-pay labs? Yes. Louisiana 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
Service Fee
Clinic may charge a transparent fee for professional/admin services.
PatientNew Century Labs + Clinic fee
Self-Managed Pricing
Clinic controls patient pricing where state law and payer context allow.
PatientClinicNew Century Labs
Louisiana limits billing for outpatient anatomic pathology to the practitioner who performed or directly supervised it. The rule is written around pathology, so counsel should confirm how it reads for routine clinical testing. Direct Pay is the cleanest start either way.
Recommended starting point for Louisiana clinics
Direct Pay is the simplest path. Self-Managed pricing works once the required patient disclosures are completed before billing.
Louisiana-specific billing considerations
Louisiana 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 Louisiana’s statute, La. R.S. 37:1741.
How each workflow fits in Louisiana
| Workflow | Fit for Louisiana clinics |
|---|---|
| Direct Pay | The simplest path. |
| Service Fee | An option for the clinic’s own separate work. |
| Self-Managed | Available once the required disclosures are made before billing. |
Medicare-sensitive workflows
In Louisiana, 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 Louisiana 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 Louisiana 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 Louisiana 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.
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Where to go next
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.