Important Update: COVID Test Request for Travel

Over the past few months Pathlab has been testing Covid-19 requests for patients who require testing for either work related purposes, private travel or repatriation. During this time our team has been faced with increasing demands from both patients and requesters. These demands have resulted in increased workload with many processes requiring manual input.

  • timing of when testing and reporting is required (often outside normal working hours),
  • tighter timeframes for reporting of results, and
  • how and to whom results are to be reported (electronic HL7/ PDF to email/ text etc).

As a result, we have had to review our pricing of Non-Funded Covid-19 testing to reflect the increasing workload we currently face.

Effective from Monday 30th November 2020, the cost for having a Covid-19 test that is collected at a medical practice for “Non-Funded Testing” (Employment Requirements, Private Travel or Repatriation) will be $170 including GST.

If the patient has the sample collected at a Pathlab Collection Room, the price will be $200 including GST.

Some airlines are requesting a GP certificate, together with the COVID testing result. If this occurs there are two options:

  • Option 1: Patients have the sample taken at your medical centre (with you providing them with a GP certificate at that visit); the patient then brings the sample to Pathlab and pays the fee to us (total: $170.00) Please ensure to inform patients they will be required to pay for the test when dropping off their sample to Pathlab.
  • Option 2: Patients have the sample taken at your medical centre and pay the fee directly to you (with you providing them with a GP certificate at that visit). Pathlab then invoices you as per our standard invoicing process (total cost $170.00). It is imperative to please IDENTIFY ON THE REQUEST FORM AND THE SPECIMEN BAG to ‘invoice medical centre’.

If a GP certificate is not required by the airline, there is another option:

  • Option 3: Patients have the sample taken by Pathlab and pay the fee to us directly at any of our collection rooms (total $200.00).

COVID TEST REQUESTS WITHOUT PAYMENT: Non-payment or no indication to invoice the medical centre will mean the COVID test results are not released until payment is received / billing confirmed, which could delay reporting of the COVID test result.

RESULTS: COVID test results (for travel purposes only) will be emailed to the traveller by Pathlab – it is imperative to have the patient’s email address clearly written on the request form.

APPOINTMENTS: Some of our facilities require an appointment for a COVID test: Rotorua, Tauranga and Whakatane (COVID testing is 3.00-4.00pm only in Whakatane). Taupo and ALL Waikato facilities do not require a COVID test appointment.