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

July 2019

Houston Errors Are Every Clinical Pathologist’s Fear

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

Due to medical errors, three patients died in three Houston hospitals in a short period of time. Each adverse event led to inspections by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and sanctions as tough as revocation of deemed status for participation in the Medicare program. That these events came so closely together, […]

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FDA Clears Aperio’s Digital Pathology System

Digital Pathology / Joseph Burns

CEO SUMMARY: In May, the FDA announced clearance for Leica Biosystems to market its Aperio AT2 DX System for clinical diagnosis in the United States. The Aperio AT2 DX System is intended for in vitro diagnostic use as an aid to pathologists reviewing and interpreting digital images of surgical pathology slides prepared from formalin-fixed paraffin

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Outside US, Digital Path Moves Ahead Rapidly

Digital Pathology / Joseph Burns

CEO SUMMARY: Implementation of digital pathology and whole-slide imaging systems in the United States lags behind that of other countries for two reasons. One is a more acute shortage of pathologists in those countries and the other is a less restrictive regulatory environment. In some locations outside the United States, pathologists have adopted fully-digital operations,

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Bill Would Delay PAMA Reporting for One Year

Laboratory Compliance / Joseph Burns

CEO SUMMARY: For all laboratories that must report private payer price data under the Protecting Access to Medicare Act (PAMA), a new bill in congress would delay the next round of data reporting for one year and require the National Academy of Medicine to recommend ways to improve the data collection and market-rate setting processes

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By 2025, Millennials Will Dominate Lab, Pathologist Workforce

Laboratory Management / Joseph Burns

CEO SUMMARY: Within five years, members of the millennial generation will make up 75% of the physician workforce in the United States, rising from about 24% in 2017. That three-fold increase represents a strong demographic trend that will require changes in the steps all clinical laboratories and pathology groups take when seeking to attract and

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By 2025, the Millennial Generation Will Dominate Lab, Pathology Workforce

TDR Insider / Mary Van Doren

This is an excerpt of a 2,576-word article in the July 22, 2019 issue of THE DARK REPORT (TDR). The full articles are available to members of The Dark Intelligence Group. CEO SUMMARY: Within five years, members of the millennial generation will make up 75% of the physician workforce in the United States,according to a

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CMS Sanctioned Three Houston Hospitals, Labs

Laboratory Compliance / Joseph Burns

CEO SUMMARY: At MD Anderson Cancer Center and Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center, blood transfusion errors led to two patients’ deaths in separate incidents last fall. Then, this spring, a patient died in the emergency department of Ben Taub Hospital following “an ineffective process in patient monitoring and communication of critical lab values.” State and

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July 22, 2019 Intelligence: Late Breaking Lab News

Late Breaking Lab News / Robert Michel

Another clinical laboratory company disclosed a major breach of its patients’ protected health information (PHI). On July 15, Clinical Pathology Laboratories (CPL), a division of Sonic Healthcare, issued a press release and disclosed that it estimated as many as 2.2 million of its patients may have had their data exposed in a breach at Retrieval Masters

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Aetna, Anthem to Pay Pathology Groups Less

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

TWO OF THE NATION’S LARGER HEALTH INSURERS—AETNA AND ANTHEM— ARE CUTTING WHAT THEY PAY for the professional component of certain clinical and anatomic pathology codes. In its communications with pathology groups about this policy change, Aetna says it will no longer pay for most clinical laboratory claims submitted with the modifier 26 for professional component

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Anthem Rolling Out More Anatomic Path Price Cuts

Laboratory Billing / Joseph Burns

CEO SUMMARY: Anthem is making big changes to its relationships with anatomic pathology groups. Getting most of the attention at the moment are the insurer’s letters announcing price cuts for anatomic pathology services of 50% to 70% of Medicare fees. But another major change may also trigger negative consequences for pathologists. Anthem is moving pathology

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