TAG:
Medicare Administrative Contractor
Labs Face Consequences from MolDx Test ‘Mess’
By Joseph Burns | From the Volume XX No. 8 – June 17, 2013 Issue
CEO SUMMARY: Non-payment of molecular test claims for the first five months of 2013 is not the only financial disruption for labs that perform these tests. Reports are coming in about how Medicare contractors, Medicaid programs, and private payers are declining to pay claims based on ruli…
Much Uncertainty About Pay for Molecular Codes
By Joseph Burns | From the Volume XX No. 7 – May 28, 2013 Issue
CEO SUMMARY: Having gone unpaid since January 1 for the 114 new molecular CPT codes, many clinical labs and pathology groups have stopped running these tests or laid off staff. Some are considering closing their doors. Evidence indicates that certain Medicare contractors are deciding that…
Experts Say Labs May Start to Receive MDx Payments
By Joseph Burns | From the Volume XX No. 5 – April 15, 2013 Issue
CEO SUMMARY: In the fourth month of the current year, there is plenty of confusion and uncertainty over how the Medicare program will establish prices for the new molecular CPT codes and when both government and private payers will begin to regularly reimburse laboratorie…
Price Cuts, Long Delays in Payment Are Expected
By Joseph Burns | From the Volume XIX No. 18 – December 31, 2012 Issue
CEO SUMMARY: In addition to a steep cut in the 88305 CPT code, anatomic pathology laboratories can expect cuts in the payment from Medicare for molecular and prostate biopsy testing. Two national experts in lab billing and reimbursement warn labs to expect confusion in how both public and…
Changed Medicare Policy Adds to Regulatory Risk
By Joseph Burns | From the Volume XIX No. 13 – September 17, 2012 Issue
CEO SUMMARY: When Medicare’s National Correct Coding Initiative (NCCI) manual took effect on January 1, 2012, it contained a significant change in how prostate biopsy claims are to be coded. This change was widely overlooked by the pathology profession and even dismissed entirely for it…
ACLA Has its Say Regarding Molecular Dx Proposals
By Robert Michel | From the Volume XVIII No. 17 – December 19, 2011 Issue
CEO SUMMARY: It is not known how many public comments have been submitted to Palmetto GBA, the big Medicare carrier, in response to its published proposals to change how code stacked claims for genetic and molecular tests will be handled, effective February 27, 2012, for labs in Medicare …
Palmetto Execs Explain Molecular Test Policies
By Joseph Burns | From the Volume XVIII No. 16 – November 28, 2011 Issue
CEO SUMMARY: To create more transparency in the process clinical labs use to submit claims for genetic tests, molecular diagnostic tests, and for laboratory-developed tests (LDT), the nation’s largest Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) has proposed two new local coverage determina…
Palmetto GBA Announces Molecular Test Registry
By Joseph Burns | From the Volume XVIII No. 16 – November 28, 2011 Issue
CEO SUMMARY: Palmetto GBA, the nation’s largest Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC), is asking labs in the J1 jurisdiction to submit applications for each molecular test they run. Molecular assays will receive a unique five-digit alpha-numeric identifier (Z-code) that will be enter…
Medicare Carrier Plans to Reject Molecular Claims
By Robert Michel | From the Volume XVIII No. 15 – November 7, 2011 Issue
CEO SUMMARY: In September, Palmetto, a Medicare carrier serving California and seven other states, made public two draft local coverage determinations (LCDs) that revamp its coverage guidelines for molecular diagnostic tests (MDT) and laboratory-developed tests (LDT). All labs su…
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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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