Ask Mary | December 2024

Since the California Board of Registered Nursing issued a notice that specified: “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends use of interferon release assays (IGRA) for testing adults, rather than TB skin test, due to increased specificity, single blood draw, and no return visit needed for interpretation”, can a home health agency use the interferon blood test and no longer do the TB skin test? 

While a home health agency can use the new CDC TB screening recommendations, they would first need to obtain a regulatory flex waiver through the California Department of Public Health because the frequency that is recommended by CDC is not the same as what California’s Title 22 regulation Section 74723 specifies. CDPH requires an annual screening.  Negative chest x-rays may still be accepted. The following AFLs were referenced by the California Department of Public Health relative to TB testing: AFL-13-15, AFL 10-23, AFL 13-08.