The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has completed its transition of the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) program to a fully paperless system.

Under the new process, CMS will no longer mail paper CLIA certificates or paper fee coupons. All CLIA certification and survey fees must now be paid electronically through the online system.

Organizations that hold a CLIA Certificate of Waiver—including some home health agencies that perform simple waived tests such as blood glucose or PT/INR—should ensure that a valid email address is on file with the CLIA program. CMS will use the email address on record to send electronic certificates, fee notifications, and other program communications.

Agencies that do not perform laboratory testing and only collect specimens, such as drawing blood that is sent to an outside laboratory for analysis, typically do not require a CLIA certificate and would not be affected by this change.

Agencies that maintain a CLIA certificate are encouraged to confirm that their contact information is current with their state CLIA program, which administers CLIA on behalf of CMS.

Additional information is available through the CLIA Transition to Paperless FAQs and on the CLIA program website.