Elevated results are flagged and are phoned or faxed to the ordering office daily.  Results for all tests can be provided by secure website download or fax.  Tamarac Medical works directly with state departments of health to electronically report test results to their format and frequency specifications.

Samples are normally analyzed within one to two business day of receipt in the laboratory.  If the first of the two expected blood drops (sample) yields an elevated result, an additional 24 hours is required for confirmatory duplicate analysis of the second blood drop (sample).

Both varieties of the Tamarac® test kit contain all supplies necessary to clean and prepare the patient stick-site, perform the blood draw, obtain and package the patient specimen, and submit the specimen with the required paperwork inside a prepaid mailing envelope, via the U.S. Postal Service to the laboratory, all at no charge to the submitting facility.

Tamarac® Medical bills Medicaid and most Medicaid Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) directly and accepts the allowable amount.  We can submit billing claims to all insurance companies; claims are processed by insurance companies according to individual plan terms.  There is no charge to the submitter when reimbursement is made by public or private insurance payers.  Charges for self-pay/uninsured patients are billed to the submitting facility at an economical group rate on a monthly basis.

Once a blood sample has dried on the filter paper, it is stable for at least 6 months. Samples require no special handling or refrigeration, and can be sent to the laboratory by mail or any other carrier with no external bio-hazard warning.

The Tamarac® Test requires only two drops of capillary, most commonly, finger-stick blood. It is important that the patient blood fall from the finger onto the filter paper card. This practice provides enough blood to exceed the size of the target circles printed on the filter paper, and allows for duplicate and confirmatory analysis of the second dried blood spot.

Filter paper blood lead testing is accepted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  Tamarac Medical is CLIA licensed and participates successfully in required proficiency testing programs.

When The Tamarac® Test is used in conjunction with a single-drop, point-of-care (POC) hemoglobin instrument, the first two drops from the stick site are used for the lead test, and the third drop is used for hemoglobin measurement.  As a result, both mandated EPSDT blood tests are performed with a total of only 3 drops of blood from a single stick – the same amount of blood that would be required if hemoglobin testing was done alone.

Standard and waterless protocols are available.  Pre-analytic contamination of the specimen by residual skin-surface lead is the most frequent cause of falsely-elevated (false-positive) results.  D-Lead® Soap, D-Lead® Wipe or Rinse Skin Cleaner and D-Wipe® Towels have demonstrated substantial efficacy in cleaning lead from the skin.  Use of these products for stick site cleaning and preparation may provide protection against falsely-elevated results.  These products are provided by Tamarac® Medical at no additional charge and the Tamarac® Test protocols specify their use.  Esca Tech, Inc. has, by a technology license agreement, granted to Tamarac Medical the exclusive right to use the D-Lead® Soap, D-Lead® Wipe or Rinse Skin Cleaner, and D-Wipe® Towels in conjunction with capillary blood lead or other heavy metals testing of infants, children and pregnant or lactating women in the United States.

D-Lead® and D-Wipe® are registered trademarks of Esca Tech, Inc.