BinaxNOW Reporting Requirements for Montana

From: Fejes, Dana <dfejes@mt.gov>
Date: Thu, Dec 3, 2020 at 4:30 PM

Hello everyone,

Please read this important reminder for BinaxNOW participants about COVID-19 testing and reporting in Montana. If you are performing BinaxNOW testing (or another point-of-care rapid test for COVID-19), please read this email and forward to persons within your organization who conduct point-of-care rapid COVID-19 tests. There have been a few issues that have come up, particularly regarding reporting:

1. Use the electronic Formstack reporting link to report all tests (link provided below) and
2. Immediately notify your local health department of any positive COVID-19 tests.

If you are already completing those two reporting requirements, and many of you are, please disregard this notice. Otherwise, please read the following:

1. Electronic reporting

All negative and positive COVID-19 tests must be reported via electronic reporting form! The old faxed version has been phased out and was only to be used in the interim. https://montanagovernment-aijle.formstack.com/forms/covid19_lab_test_result_survey Please use that link to report all point-of-care COVID-19 tests including Abbott BinaxNOW (rapid antigen tests) and Abbott ID or Cepheid (rapid PCR tests). Do not use this link for tests sent to the state lab for testing. This is a federal requirement and applies to all tests that seek to detect COVID-19. When you report to DPHHS, our reporting systems will then report to the federal government.

Public Law 116-136, § 18115(a), the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, requires “every laboratory that performs or analyzes a test that is intended to detect SARS-CoV-2 or to diagnose a possible case of COVID-19” to report the results from each such test to the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)

Alternative reporting mechanisms that may apply to specific organizations:

• If you are using the COVID-19 module at NHSN, that meets the federal reporting requirements. This is most applicable to long-term care facilities and some hospitals.
• If your facility conducts electronic laboratory reporting, these tests can be reported that way. This is most applicable to hospitals and national reference labs.
• Under special circumstances and only for large volume facilities, a template excel file may be submitted to DPHHS. Please reach out to 406-444-0273 to discuss this option.

1. Notification of positive COVID results

In addition, per the Administrative Rules of Montana of Montana, a positive test for COVID-19 must be reported to the local health department immediately. Please connect with your local health department directly to determine the mechanism how to report positive test results.

37.114.201    REPORTERS

(1) With the exceptions noted in (3), (4), and (5), any person, including a physician, dentist, nurse, medical examiner, other health care practitioner, administrator of a health care facility or laboratory, public or private school administrator, or laboratory professional who knows or has reason to believe that a case exists of a reportable disease or condition defined in ARM 37.114.203 must immediately report to the local health officer the information specified in ARM 37.114.205(1) and (2).

We appreciate your efforts to help us combat COVID-19 in Montana and rapid detection can help curb the spread. We kindly ask that everyone complies with the reporting requirements as outlines in the law. We understand that the reporting volume can be burdensome, but it is necessary and required to continue to offer this BinaxNOW testing program.