While President Trump's proposed $4.75 trillion budget may be the largest in U.S. history, it calls for important cuts affecting health care in general and labs in particular. Here are the six things … [Read more...]
NEWS
Health Reform: The Latest Twist in the Legal War on Obamacare
April 15, 2019
The Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare, remains alive but certainly not well. When last we left the melodrama, a federal district court in Texas had ruled in favor of Republican Governors challenging … [Read more...]
ENFORCEMENT
Provider Fined for Not Taking Compliance Measures Required by Its CIA
January 19, 2019
Case: Nearly 10 years ago, a new Affordable Care Act rule requiring labs and other providers to investigate their credit balances for potential Medicare overpayments took effect. In 2015, Pediatric … [Read more...]
HEALTH CARE REFORM
Industry Buzz: When It Comes to Obamacare, Uncertainty Is the Only Certainty
January 15, 2019
Last month, a U.S. District Court Judge ruled that the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare, is unconstitutional—not just the individual mandate but the whole bloody law. But if you were expecting … [Read more...]
HEALTH CARE REFORM
Case of the Month: Texas Court Strikes Down Obamacare—So, Now What?!
December 31, 2018
What came as a Christmas gift to many Republicans could be a lump of coal in the stockings of health insurers and the patients they cover. On Dec. 14, a federal judge in Texas did the unthinkable by … [Read more...]
HEALTH CARE REFORM
Compliance Perspectives: PAMA Pitfalls & Survival Strategies
December 31, 2018
PAMA's deep Medicare reimbursement cuts have had a devastating impact on the lab industry. Recent CMS changes in the 2019 Final Rule should provide a degree of pricing relief but not until 2021. In … [Read more...]
FOCUS ON
Medicare Reimbursement: CMS Provides Needed PAMA Relief—But Newly Covered Hospital Labs Must Report in 2019
December 21, 2018
The battle between CMS and the lab industry over Medicare Part B pricing for lab tests could be on the road to resolution notwithstanding the ACLA's recent court loss. But even as the legal battle … [Read more...]
CORRECTION
Correction: PAMA Relief—CMS 1450 14x TOB Labs DO Count!
December 20, 2018
Two articles appearing on the G2 website, "CMS Offers Some PAMA Relief But Not Nearly Enough" (G2 Compliance Advisor/Lab Compliance Advisor) and "2019 CLFS Offers Some PAMA Relief But Not Nearly … [Read more...]
PUBLIC HEALTH
Industry Buzz: Obamacare Repeal Sends Tremors through Insurance Markets
December 18, 2018
What came as a Christmas gift to many Republicans may be a lump of coal in the stocking of many others. On December 14, a federal judge in Texas ruled that the entire Affordable Care Act (aka, … [Read more...]
LEGISLATION
New Laws: Proposed Federal Legislation Would Allow Medicare Payment for Genetic Counselling
December 14, 2018
A new bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives in October calls for CMS to recognize certified genetic counselors as healthcare providers. Here's a quick overview of the bill and why it … [Read more...]
