TAG:
Medicare
Aetna, Anthem to Pay Pathology Groups Less
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 laborat…
Anthem Rolling Out New Pathology CPT Code Cuts
This is a synopsis of a 2,120-word article in the July 1, 2019 issue of THE DARK REPORT (TDR). The full articles are available to members of The Dark Intelligence Group. CEO SUMMARY: Anthem is making big changes to its relationships with anatomic pathology (AP) groups. Getting most o…
Aetna Ends Payment for Professional Component
CEO SUMMARY: As of Aug. 1, Aetna will stop paying out-of-network pathologists for the professional component review of certain clinical pathology tests. Until now, the health insurer has paid for the professional component when out-of-network labs billed for clinical lab tests using the m…
Iowa Nursing Homes Lose Phlebotomy Service Twice
CEO SUMMARY: It may be without precedent in the clinical lab industry that a laid-off lab manager launches a nonprofit mobile phlebotomy service in order to continue services to homebound patients, nursing homes, and long-term care facilities. The events in the Quad Cities of Moline, Ill….
Northwell Health Lab Team Leverages Data to Add Value
CEO SUMMARY: Today, insurers get risk-adjusted payments for treating patients who have high-cost health conditions and they make risk-adjusted payments to physicians, hospitals, and other providers. At Northwell Health, the clinical lab saw the opportunity to leverage lab test data with …
May 20, 2019 Intelligence: Late Breaking Lab News
Canada faces a similar shortage of medical technologists (MTs) as exists in the United States. “We have reached the point now where some laboratories have been closed for weeks due to insufficient staffing, which is a cascading problem for patients and the healthcare system,” stated Maria Klement…
The Bad News: Disruption. The Good News: Opportunity!
CEO SUMMARY: There was an interesting consensus that emerged from the 80 sessions and 118 speakers at this year’s Executive War College in New Orleans earlier this month. The consensus centered around two themes. One theme is disruption, which is bad news for those labs that hope to mai…
What Labs Can Expect from PAMA in 2019
CEO SUMMARY: Attendees at the Executive War College learned that CMS has taken steps to expand the number of hospital labs required to report their private payer lab test price data under the Protecting Access to Medicare Act, but the unbundling of certain test panels could be problematic…
CMS, Lab Groups Begin Talks About Issues with NCCI Edits
SERIOUS PROBLEMS WITH THE NEW GUIDELINES for the National Correct Coding Initiative (NCCI) that were implemented on Jan. 1 have caused nine clinical laboratory associations and groups to come together and voice their concerns to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services…
Labs Get High Denial Rates Under New NCCI Rules
CEO SUMMARY: Under guidelines the National Correct Coding Initiative issued last year, many clinical laboratories are not getting paid for some tests. The rates of denial for labs running mostly molecular tests could range from 40% to 100% of revenue, one billing expert said. Implemented …
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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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