By Lâle White bio As XIFIN predicted, the PAMA reporting exercise has resulted in significant proposed laboratory fee cuts. In fact, the multi-year decrease for the top 20 laboratory tests … [Read more...]
PAMA
Draft 2018 CLFS Reveals Fundamental Flaws in PAMA Reporting Exercise; Time to Take Action
October 2, 2017
Defense Dept. Extends Lab-Developed Test Demonstration for TRICARE
September 6, 2017
The Department of Defense announced June 20 that it approved a threeyear extension of the Defense Health Agency Evaluation of Non-United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Approved Laboratory … [Read more...]
HEALTH CARE REFORM
Could the AHCA Slow Interest in Genetic Testing?
June 14, 2017
While it remains uncertain what the Senate will do with the American Health Care Act (AHCA), alarm is spreading about the legislation's implications for the estimated quarter of Americans under the … [Read more...]
REIMBURSEMENT
Molecular Testing Avoids Significant Pay Cuts in 2017 CLFS
December 27, 2016
The Revamped G Codes for Definitive Drug Testing (underlined text represents changes from 2016 descriptor) The 2017 CLFS includes modified descriptors of the G codes for differential drug tests so … [Read more...]
Foundation Medicine’s Reimbursement Woes May Signal Broader Industry Challenge
December 14, 2015
Foundation Medicine (Cambridge, Mass.) candidly reported in quarterly financial filings that reimbursement challenges are stymieing the company's growth. The company's lack of Medicare coverage … [Read more...]
Labs Need to Focus on Providing Data-Driven Value for the System, Lab Institute Experts Say
November 17, 2015
Laboratory leaders are well aware of the unprecedented number of evolutionary forces exerting pressure on the industry and are heavily focused on regulatory and reimbursement uncertainties. But, … [Read more...]
Shift to Gene Panels to Assess Hereditary Cancer Risk Forges Ahead; Evidence of Clinical Utility, Cost-Effectiveness Emerges
September 2, 2015
A virtually unlimited number of genes tied to hereditary cancer risk can be simultaneously assessed in commercially available tests given both advances in technology and the Supreme Court’s two-year … [Read more...]
Payment Reform Efforts to Support Cancer Care Coordination, Treatment Planning
July 17, 2015
The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) is proposing to profoundly reform payment for cancer care. ASCO's Patient-Centered Oncology Payment: Payment Reform to Support Higher Quality, More … [Read more...]
Labs Look to Lean Engineering to Transform Operations
May 12, 2015
With reimbursement challenging revenue in already constrained budgets, laboratories are increasingly looking for financial stability through cost savings achieved with added operational efficiencies. … [Read more...]
Vermillion’s OVA1 Cost-Effective in ID’ing Ovarian Cancer Patients
May 11, 2015
The OVA1 multivariate index assay (Vermillion; Austin, Texas) is a cost-effective strategy for triaging women with pelvic masses prior to surgery, according to an abstract presented at the American … [Read more...]
