Direct Pay
Patient pays New Century Labs directly for lab testing.
PatientNew Century Labs
Can Pennsylvania Clinics Offer Cash-Pay Labs?
Direct Pay, Service Fee, or Self-Managed: what fits Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania clinics offer cash-pay labs? Yes, but Pennsylvania law caps what you can charge at the lab’s own price, and the lab’s charge must be disclosed to the patient. Use Direct Pay or pass the charge through at cost, and bill your clinic’s own services separately.
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
Pennsylvania caps outside lab charges at cost and requires patient disclosure. Start with Direct Pay or an at-cost pass-through with clear disclosure, and state any clinic fee separately.
Recommended starting point for Pennsylvania clinics
Start with Direct Pay. If you rebill, pass the lab charge through at cost and disclose it to the patient. Your margin comes from a Service Fee for your own work, never from the lab test.
Pennsylvania-specific billing considerations
Pennsylvania bars marking up outside lab work, and requires clear patient disclosure of lab and clinic charges. Use Direct Pay, or pass the lab charge through at cost with clear disclosure. Charge for your own services separately.
How each workflow fits in Pennsylvania
| Workflow | Fit for Pennsylvania clinics |
|---|---|
| Direct Pay | Recommended, or at-cost pass-through disclosed to the patient. |
| Service Fee | Fine for the clinic’s own separate work, itemized and disclosed. |
| Self-Managed | Not permitted: Pennsylvania caps the charge at the lab’s own price, disclosed. |
Medicare-sensitive workflows
In Pennsylvania, 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 Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania clinic charge patients more than the lab’s price?
No. Pennsylvania law caps your charge at what the lab charged, and requires that charge to be disclosed to the patient. Bill your own services separately.
What’s the simplest way for a Pennsylvania 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.
Explore the cluster
Where to go next
Cash-pay lab billing
Nearby states
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.