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

June 2010

Texas Doctors Dropping Out of Medicare

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

IN A MAJOR STORY LAST WEEK, the Houston Chronicle reported that the rate of Texas physicians who are dropping the Medicare program has increased 30-fold in 2010 compared to 2006. These findings indicate the level of “no confidence” that growing numbers of physicians have about the Medicare program. The Houston Chronicle wrote that 50 physicians …

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ISO 15189 Accreditation Earned by Spectra Labs

Laboratory Management / By Robert Michel

CEO SUMMARY: Spectra Laboratories Inc., recently announced that it had earned accreditation to the ISO 15189:2007 standard, following an assessment by a team from the Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA). Spectra is a high-volume laboratory that serves renal patients. It also provides clinical trial testing for pharmaceutical companies. Spectra officials stated that the laboratory wanted …

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Genetic Testing Genie Is Now Out of the Bottle

Genetic Testing / By Robert Michel

CEO SUMMARY: There’s been an uneasy standoff between companies that want to sell genetic tests directly to consumers over the Internet and both state and federal regulators. But now it appears that the FDA is ready to take off the gloves and assert greater control over genetic testing. The agency moved swiftly to challenge six …

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Pathologists Not Enrolled In PECOS By July 6 Risk Denial of Medicare Claims

Laboratory Billing / By Robert Michel

JULY 6, 2010, IS THE NEW DEADLINE for pathologists to enroll in the Provider Enrollment, Chain and Ownership System (PECOS) or risk being denied payment for Medicare claims. The federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently issued a statement that it will not pay physicians and their referring providers if they fail to …

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Using Performance-Based Part A Hospital Path Contracts

Laboratory Billing / By Robert Michel

CEO Summary: One of pathology’s greatest challenges is adequate reimbursement for hospital Part A Pathology Services. Over the past two decades, ever more hospitals took steps to reduce or eliminate payment to pathologists for these services. Now several innovative pathology groups are using a performance-based strategy to negotiate win-win Part A Pathology Service contracts with …

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Halfpenny Technologies Buys Laboratory Management Services

Clinical Laboratory Trends / By Robert Michel

TO BROADEN ITS CAPABILITIES in handling laboratory test data, Halfpenny Technologies, Inc., announced the acquisition of Laboratory Management Services (LMS) of Hauppauge, New York, earlier this month. Halfpenny seems to be particularly interested in the informatics solutions developed by LMS to make it easier for clinical laboratories and pathology groups to report laboratory test data …

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Clarient, Generation Health, GenMark, Osmetech, Laboratoire Cerba, UCLA Med Center

Clinical Laboratory Trends / By Robert Michel

CLARIENT INKS PACT WITH GENERATION HEALTH FOR GENETIC TESTING PAYER PRE-AUTHORIZATION OF GENETIC TESTS is the reason for the newly-announced contract between Clarient, Inc., and Generation Health, Inc., of Upper Saddle River, New Jersey. Announced on June 10, the agreement positions Clarient to be the preferred provider of genetic tests for Generation Health. Generation Health …

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June 21, 2010 “Intelligence: Late Breaking Lab News”

Late Breaking Lab News / By Robert Michel

Early in June, exactly 96 customers of 23andMe, Inc., were notified that they had received the wrong genetic test results. It was particularly bad timing, since the company had just been sent a letter from the FDA asserting its authority to regulate genetic testing. Bloggers reported that, on its web site and accessible only to …

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California’s Legal Challenge to Discount Pricing

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

PROBABLY NO TOPIC IN THE LAB TESTING INDUSTRY generates more controversy than discounted pricing for physicians, managed care companies, and IPAs (independent physician associations). Almost every pathologist and laboratory executive decries the corrosive effects of below-cost pricing. Yet, many of these same lab executives quietly continue to solicit new clients by dangling deeply-discounted—and often money-losing—prices …

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Westcliff Labs Announces BK and Sale to LabCorp

Laboratory Management / By Robert Michel

CEO SUMMARY: Subject to court approval, Laboratory Corporation of America is poised to acquire the assets of California-based Westcliff Medical Laboratories, Inc., which just filed a Chapter 11 bankruptcy action in federal court on May 19. In a separate transaction, LabCorp has an agreement to acquire Diamond Reference Laboratory of Diamond Bar, California. The two …

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