Research Billing

UCLA Clinical Research Charge Review – Standard Operating Procedures

UCLA has established Clinical Research Charge Review Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that define key roles and responsibilities in facilitating the accurate review and adjudication of clinical research charges across UCLA Health. This SOP ensures all clinical research studies adhere to current billing regulations and institutional policies and procedures, including the OnCore Billing Grid, which serves as the primary source record for charge processing.

A brief overview of UCLA’s Clinical Research Charge Review SOPs:

  • Roles and Responsibilities:
    • Clinical Research Faculty and Staff: Must ensure all research participant visits are properly recorded and linked to the respective study within specified time frames.
    • Principal Investigators (PIs): Have the duty to review and validate research charges in CareConnect within ten (10) days to ensure accurate research billing.
    • Centralized Research Billing Partners (CRBP): Responsible for processing charges during Tier II review and addressing any requests or discrepancies regarding charge revisions.
  • Compliance and Adherence: Research charges must adhere to the UCLA Research Pricing Policy 915.1 and other applicable laws. PIs must validate charges against SOP defined source records to avoid violations, such as those under the Federal False Claims Act.
  • Escalation Procedures: Detailed processes are in place for PIs to escalate unresolved issues related to charge revisions, ensuring all disputes are handled in accordance with university policies.

This SOP reflects UCLA Health Sciences' commitment to maintaining rigorous standards in clinical research charge handling, ensuring transparency, compliance, and accountability.

Should you have any questions related to this SOP or related to clinical research charge review at UCLA, please contact UCLAHSCRBP@mednet.ucla.edu.