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

Commentary and Opinion by R. Lewis Dark

Provider Price Transparency Trend Has New Twist

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

IT’S NOT JUST PATIENTS WHO ARE TYPICALLY UNABLE TO SEE PRICES FOR THEIR MEDICAL CARE IN ADVANCE OF SERVICE. Guess who else is unhappy that they cannot access the prices charged by hospitals, physicians, and other providers? It is self-insured companies and unions! Bloomberg recently reported on multiple court cases where a self-insured company or …

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‘Virchow’ Is Your New Source of Managed Care Insights

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

WE ARE UNVEILING A VALUABLE INTELLIGENCE RESOURCE FOR YOU. It is a new commentary focused exclusively on managed care contracting for diagnostic services provided by clinical laboratories and anatomic pathology groups. We named it “Virchow” in recognition of Rudolf Virchow (1821-1905), the famed German physician who shaped modern pathology and laboratory medicine. Lab leaders need …

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Stressful Weeks Ahead for Labs Thanks to Z-codes

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

We are not alone in recognizing that UnitedHealthcare’s (UHC) upcoming mandate for Z-code use in genetic test claims has the potential to be disruptive to many clinical laboratories. Evidence of this widespread concern was provided on June 29. That’s the day that The Dark Report hosted a webinar titled, “Essential Guide to Obtaining Z-codes for Molecular and Genetic Tests.” Nearly …

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Expect More Z-code Requirements for Genetic Tests

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

GENETIC TESTING COMPANIES ARE STILL REACTING TO LAST MONTH’S NEWS that one of the nation’s largest health insurers—UnitedHealthcare (UHC)—will require Z-codes for molecular test claims submitted as of August 1. UHC’s action creates an interesting differentiation among genetic testing laboratories. On one side are established labs that already have Z-codes for their genetic tests so …

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For Labs, a Little Angel and Devil Sit Behind Z-Codes

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

Much lies underneath the surface of UnitedHealthcare’s (UHC) new policy mandating Z-code use for molecular tests covered under its commercial health plans. It’s a development that creates headaches for many genetic testing companies. As we explain in our lead story starting here, as of Aug. 1, UHC will require Z-codes for molecular tests that use …

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Healthcare Megatrends and a Famous Book

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

PREDICTING THE FUTURE IS A RISKY BUSINESS. SKEPTICS ARE ALWAYS AROUND TO CALL ATTENTION TO PROPHETS WHO GET IT WRONG. One prophet whose predictions were on target was author John Naisbitt. Those of us around in the 1980s will remember a book titled, “Megatrends: Ten New Directions Transforming Our Lives.” This was a blockbuster book …

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What’s Next in 2023 for Clinical Laboratories?

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

AS YOU OPEN THIS ISSUE OF THE DARK REPORT, in New Orleans, about 900 senior lab administrators, executives, and pathologists will be gathered at the 28th annual Executive War College on Diagnostics, Clinical Laboratory, and Pathology Management. One big question that will be asked is: What’s next for clinical labs during the balance of 2023? …

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Come One, Come All to the Executive War College

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

THIS IS FOR ALL OF YOU LONG-TIME READERS WHO EVERY SPRING SEE NEWS about the Executive War College on Diagnostics, Laboratory, and Pathology Management, tell yourself that you need to attend, but then you put off registering. Your message today is simple and supported by compelling logic: this is the year for you to make …

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Acquisitions Bloom, at the Expense of Hospital Labs?

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

READERS WILL UNCOVER A THEME OF MERGERS AND CONSOLIDATIONS running throughout this issue of The Dark Report. Whether it be health systems acquiring or merging with each other or national laboratory companies seeking to run hospital lab businesses, it is an unstable time for just about any type of healthcare organization. This is consistent with …

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Building Collaborations to Deliver More Value

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

Innovative clinical laboratory leaders closely monitoring the financial health of their labs or hospitals will find plenty to chew on in this issue of The Dark Report. The laboratory team at Atrium Health in Charlotte, North Carolina sets the stage with a case study about how the lab team’s interaction with health system administrators and …

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