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Study Reveals Medicare Already Pays Low Rates
CEO SUMMARY: Researchers studied a database containing laboratory test prices paid in 2012 on behalf of 56 million Americans covered by private health plans and determined that, for most tests, and in most regions, Medicare already pays less than private health insurers for clinical labor…
Georgia Lab Pays Docs For Urine Test Referrals
CEO SUMMARY: Physicians could make $400 or more per sample, according to one physician. But under the federal Stark Law, the federal Anti-kickback Law, and under Florida state law, physicians and other healthcare providers are prohibited from referring patients or doing work for kickbacks…
Charting Your Lab’s Course for 2014
WITHOUT QUESTION, CLINICAL LABS AND PATHOLOGY GROUPS will be confronted with tough challenges during 2014. Across the nation, lab executives and pathologists tell us that it is no longer “business as usual.” What I find most interesting about the feedback pouring into our offices is that the Aff…
Lab Companies’ IPOs Go Two-for-Three in November
CEO SUMMARY: This fall, a parade of molecular and genetic test companies moved forward with initial public offerings (IPOs) of their stock. In September, Foundation Medicine raised $106 million from its IPO. Encouraged by this success, three different companies proceeded with IPOs during …
Medicare Price Cuts Drive Labs to Sell or File BK
CEO SUMMARY: Professional investors are smart with their money. Thus, it is no surprise that clinical lab and pathology companies owned by private equity firms are the first to be sold or closed. These investors are acting in response to the cumulative negative financial impact of recent …
Newsmaker Interview: Adam Slone, Tara Kochis
“When it comes to hiring senior leaders, labs today are more diligent in recruiting and interviewing candidates for key executive and management positions. One reason for this change is the shrinking financial margins at most labs.” …
CMS Ready To Hack Away at Cost of Lab Testing
CEO SUMMARY: In July, the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published three proposed rules which would allow it to act independently of Congress to set prices for clinical laboratory testing and pathology services. Analyses of these proposed rules indicate that th…
Labs Push to Cut Costs As Budgets, Prices Shrink
CEO SUMMARY: Cost-cutting is now the prime directive at progressive labs because nearly every laboratory organization in the United States is under sustained financial pressure. This is due to shrinking budgets for hospital labs and more aggressive price-cutting by private payers. Even Ob…
Cigna Program Addresses Genetic Test Utilization
CEO SUMMARY: Cigna launched a program that requires genetic counseling for patients and pre-authorization of genetic tests. Its partner is InformedDNA, a firm that provides genetic counseling services. The goals include better patient engagement, improved test utilization…
House Bill Introduced to Address Rate-Setting for Molecular Tests
FEW PATHOLOGISTS OR CLINICAL laboratory directors would argue against revising the current Medicare payment policies for molecular and genetic tests. A bill proposed in Congress would do just that. The process now in use by Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) is inefficient and opaque, accord…
CURRENT ISSUE
Volume XXXII, No. 6 – April 21, 2025
Now that a federal judge has vacated the FDA’s LDT rule, The Dark Report analyzes the judgement and notes the various steps the FDA could take in response. Also, lab testing at pharmacies is proving to be less successful than was once anticipated.
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