By Mike O'Brien bio Here is my periodic update prepared for interested HR professionals trying to deal with the complex American employment laws. In this update: Federal agencies take … [Read more...]
LAB OPERATIONS
Don’t Crash & Burn: Why Cutting Your Quality Department’s Budget is not a Good Idea
October 18, 2017
By Jennifer Dawson, MHA, LSSBB, CPHQ, DLM(ASCP)QIHC, QLC, SLS bio Do you think that you can improve your organization's bottom line by reducing the budget to your quality program and … [Read more...]
FEE SCHEDULES
Newly Proposed PAMA Rates for 2018 Confirm Lab Industry’s Worst Fears
October 16, 2017
CMS's newly issued preliminary Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule (CLFS) for 2018 dashes the lab industry's hopes for PAMA relief by making two things painfully clear: There will be no delay in plans … [Read more...]
LAB SAFETY
Fanning the Flames
October 16, 2017
By Dan Scungio, MT (ASCP), SLS, CQA (ASQ) bio Story #1: The fire started in the university chemistry laboratory when a research student used a flammable chemical too close to the open … [Read more...]
TRICARE
LDTs: TRICARE Beneficiaries Get At Least 3 More Years of Access
October 10, 2017
Some of the labs that participate in TRICARE got some good news when the Department of Defense announced that it has extended the so called Approved Laboratory Developed Tests (LDTs) Demonstration … [Read more...]
PAMA
Draft 2018 CLFS Reveals Fundamental Flaws in PAMA Reporting Exercise; Time to Take Action
October 2, 2017
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...]
DATA
New Laboratory IT Systems Transfer Standard Brings True Interoperability Closer to Reality
September 29, 2017
The vision of true interoperability of electronic health care information has moved one step closer to reality with the release of a new information technology (IT) standard. Called LIVD, the standard … [Read more...]
COMPLIANCE
Enforcement Trends: Private Sector Playing a Bigger Role in Lab Fraud Crackdown
September 29, 2017
Laboratories have been on the receiving end of health care fraud allegations for decades. But while the risk of prosecution and litigation haven't changed, the dynamics have. Although federal … [Read more...]
FOCUS ON
Kickbacks: Does OIG Green Light of Free Product Replacements Open Door for Lab Freebies?
September 29, 2017
The OIG's aversion to offering freebies of any kind to referral sources is longstanding and well known. So the Aug. 25, 2017 Advisory Opinion clearing the way for a provider to replace spoiled … [Read more...]
MEDICARE COVERAGE
Reimbursement Trends: 8 Molecular Assays Score Big Coverage Wins from Medicare, Private Insurers
September 29, 2017
Molecular labs continue to gain ground with insurers. This summer, 8 more genetic assays received positive coverage decisions—4 from Medicare and 4 from private insurers. The winners included Genomic … [Read more...]
