By R. Lewis Dark, from the Volume XXV No. 17 – December 3, 2018 issue
Traditionally, the new year is a time of optimism. People make resolutions such as exercising more and losing weight. Companies get to start the year with a fresh budget and the new opportunity to achieve their goals.
Unfortunately, events of the last 90 days of this year are not auspicious for clinical laboratories and anatomic pathology
This is a summary of two articles in the Nov. 13, 2018 issue of THE DARK REPORT. The complete articles are available only to paid members of the Dark Intelligence Group.
CEO SUMMARY: On Nov. 2, the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released its Physician Fee Schedule for 2019. CMS says it will expand
By Joseph Burns, from the Volume XXV No. 16 – November 13, 2018 issue
CEO SUMMARY: On Nov. 2, the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released its Physician Fee Schedule for 2019. It says it will expand the number of labs from which it collects data about the lab test prices paid by private health insurers. While some labs may welcome these changes, groups representing clinical laboratories
By Joseph Burns, from the Volume XXV No. 14 – October 1, 2018 issue
CEO SUMMARY: Many lab professionals were disappointed at the news that a federal judge dismissed the American Clinical Laboratory Association’s arguments in its lawsuit against the federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). In an interview, the ACLA’s lead lawyer on the case discussed the key issues and explained ACLA’s claims about how HHS
By Joseph Burns, from the Volume XXV No. 9 – June 18, 2018 issue
CEO SUMMARY: Rulings from Judge Amy Berman Jackson of the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., are expected soon in the ACLA’s lawsuit against HHS concerning the PAMA final rule that set the course for the new Medicare CLFS rates implemented in January 2018. One lawyer following the lawsuit explains that ACLA has presented strong
By Joseph Burns, from the Volume XXV No. 6 – April 16, 2018 issue
CEO SUMMARY: Several developments have moved the case forward since December when the American Clinical Laboratory Association filed suit in federal court against the Department of Health and Human Services. Inrecent weeks, ACLA filed for summary judgment; HHS responded with its own request for summary judgment; and most recently ACLA filed its rebuttal to the
By Joseph Burns, from the Volume XXV No. 4 – March 5, 2018 issue
CEO SUMMARY: When the American Clinical Laboratory Association filed its lawsuit Dec. 11 against the Secretary of Health and Human Services, one of its main claims is that HHS collected payment data on the clinical laboratory testing business in a manner that was deeply flawed. HHS then used that flawed data to set payment rates
By Joseph Burns, from the Volume XXV, No. 1 – January 2, 2018 issue
CEO SUMMARY: Members of Joint Venture Hospital Laboratories in Michigan anticipate that the 2018 Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule rates being implemented under PAMA will lower payment from Medicare to less than the cost of running tests, especially for rural and critical access hospitals. CMS established the 2018 CLFS under the Patient Access to Medicare Act
This is an excerpt from a 2,580-word article in the January 2, 2018, issue of THE DARK REPORT. The complete article is available for a limited time to all readers, and available at all times to paid members of the Dark Intelligence Group.
CEO SUMMARY: This expert analysis shows that laboratories may face an uphill fight
By Joseph Burns, from the Volume XXV, No. 1 – January 2, 2018 issue
CEO SUMMARY: In a lawsuit filed last month, the American Clinical Laboratory Association charged that HHS failed to comply with the statutory requirements of the Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014 when setting the 2018 Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule. In the lawsuit, ACLA said HHS disregarded the law’s requirement that all applicable laboratories would
