Since 1995, Reliable Business Intelligence for Clinical Laboratories, Pathology Groups and Laboratory Diagnostics

July 2004

Two Blockbuster Stories to Rock the Lab Industry!

Commentary and Opinion by R. Lewis Dark / R. Lewis Dark

WOW! YOU HAVE TWO BLOCKBUSTER STORIES covered in this issue, which expanded into extra pages to bring you all the news and detailed analysis. Our lead story, on the facing page, is first news in the laboratory industry of criminal indictments of three ex-UroCor executives for laboratory sales and marketing practices that violated Medicare anti-kickback […]

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Ex-UroCor Execs Face Criminal Indictments

Laboratory Compliance / Robert Michel

CEO SUMMARY: Criminal charges filed against ex-UroCor executives center around several marketing practices that have much in common with marketing strategies used by many lab- oratories today. These include discounted pricing for non-Medicare specimens, offering to waive charges to payers and patients where UroCor was an “out-of-network” provider, and offering “consulting services” payments to client

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UroCor’s Sales Tactics Violated Medicare Laws

Laboratory Compliance / Robert Michel

CEO SUMMARY: By issuing a multi-count criminal indictment against three former UroCor executives, one federal attorney is creating new legal precedents for the laboratory industry. The criminal charges accuse UroCor of inducing physicians through such gambits as deeply-discounted pricing and “free testing” when not a contracted network laboratory. Labs should review compliance with these types

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Lawyer Argues: UroCor Charges Are a Concern

Laboratory Compliance / Robert Michel

CEO SUMMARY: Criminal charges in the case against three ex-UroCor executives will likely alter existing compliance practices that affect how a lab offers price discounts to physicians and the way a lab uses “waiver of charges” in situations where it is an out-of-network provider. Attorney Jane Pine Wood was one of the first to see

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Linking UroCor Indictments With Specialist Doc Pathology

Pathology Trends / Robert Michel

IS THE TIMING of the criminal indictments of three ex-UroCor executives going to be a fortuitous event for the anatomic pathology profession? I ask this question because the exploding trend of specialist physician groups internalizing anatomic pathology services was slated to be the sole topic for this and the next issue of THE DARK REPORT.

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Urology & GI Physicians Bring Pathology In-House

Pathology Trends / Robert Michel

CEO SUMMARY: Increasing numbers of urology and gastroenterology specialist groups are deciding to bring anatomic pathology services in-house. This phenomenon has gathered speed during the past year and is becoming a threat to the long-term financial and clinical stability of the anatomic pathology profession in the United States. Every pathology group needs a strategy to

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Pathology “Condo Labs” Are New Business Ploy

Pathology Trends / Robert Michel

CEO SUMMARY: We call ‘em pathology condominium laboratories. Other names are “pod labs” and “salon labs.” Whatever name is used, this new scheme by specialist physicians to capture pathology revenues may be the most significant threat to the anatomic pathology profession since the imposition of hospital DRGs more than 20 years ago. Here’s our exclusive

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In-House Versus Off-Site: Different Concerns

Pathology Trends / Robert Michel

CEO SUMMARY: Three methods are available to specialist physician groups to capture anatomic pathology revenues generated by their patient population. Two methods have been around a long time. The pathology condo lab method is a new ploy. Of the three, one is generally accepted and more easily meets state and federal compliance requirements. But the

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Changing Economics Motivate Urologists & GIs

Pathology Trends / Robert Michel

CEO SUMMARY: Over the past 18 months, more specialist groups have created their own anatomic pathology laboratories than were created in the past five years. It’s a gold rush to tap and capture profits generated by the anatomic pathology services provided to their patient populations. This heightened interest in operating in-house anatomic pathology laboratories is

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“July 19, 2004 Intelligence: Late Breaking Lab News”

Late Breaking Lab News / Robert Michel

A transfusion of the wrong type of blood may have contributed to the death of a critically ill woman at Sarasota Memorial Hospital in Sarasota, Florida last month. The patient died about a day after the transfusion. Following the blood transfusion, a reaction had been observed. Attending physicians do not know if the transfusion of

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