A new study provides solid evidence for a long-held assumption about how hospitals consume lab tests: teaching hospitals utilize tests at a consistently higher rate than nonteaching hospitals. The … [Read more...]
HEALTH CARE REFORM
Utilization Trends: Teaching Hospitals Consistently Order More Lab Tests
January 9, 2018
HEALTH CARE REFORM
High-Deductible Plans Tied to Reduced Use of Health Care, Including Diagnostic Testing
November 27, 2017
People enrolled in high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) cut their use of health services, including laboratory testing, according to a study published in the October issue of Health Affairs. HDHPs … [Read more...]
MEDICARE COVERAGE
“Applicable Labs”: The Fly in the PAMA Market-Based Pricing Ointment
October 23, 2017
The lab industry has no objection to basing Medicare payments for lab tests on the actual rates charged to payors in the private market. What has the industry so upset is how CMS has executed the … [Read more...]
HEALTH CARE REFORM
AACC Calls for Lab Professionals to Support Value-Based Care
June 12, 2017
Laboratory professionals have a central role to play in supporting the transition to value-based care, according to a position statement released by the American Academy of Clinical Chemistry on May … [Read more...]
TESTING TRENDS
ACA Impacts Screening Test Usage
April 25, 2017
As efforts to replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA) have not yet resulted in its repeal, it appears there has been an uptick in preventive screening caused by the ACA. Yet, cancer-screening rates in … [Read more...]
FDA
FDA Exempts 71 Class I Device Types From 510(k) Filings
April 25, 2017
The FDA has determined that 71 device types, including some diagnostic test kits, should be exempt from 510(k) filings. These devices are deemed "sufficiently well understood and do not present … [Read more...]
TOP OF THE NEWS
Trump Budget “Blueprint”: 4 Ways It Will Impact Labs
March 31, 2017
President Trump's 2018 budget proposal includes a number of items likely to affect your laboratory. Here are the four things lab managers need to know about the proposal. What It Is & Is Not The … [Read more...]
HEALTH CARE REFORM
So, Now What? How a Trump Presidency Will Impact Labs & the ACA
November 25, 2016
Needless to say, the election of Donald Trump will have major ramifications on not just labs but the entire health care industry. But while changes are a certainty, it is far from clear what and how … [Read more...]
Labs Quickly Move Toward Electronic Reporting of Public Health Information
April 20, 2015
When Patricia Quinlisk, M.D., joined the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) two decades ago, laboratories reported their results in a time-honored fashion: paper forms filled out by hand or … [Read more...]
Inside the Lab Industry: Two Models for the Hospital Outreach Business: Dive In or Stay on Sidelines
The two biggest deals Quest Diagnostics has consummated in recent months involved hospital outreach laboratories. In October, it announced that it was acquiring the outreach business of the UMass … [Read more...]
