Health groups urge passage of bill to ease Medicare pay cuts for tests

Dive Brief:

A coalition of more than 30 trade groups from across the healthcare industry is calling on Congress to pass legislation that would prevent steep Medicare reimbursement cuts for laboratory testing services from taking effect in January.

In a letter sent last week to congressional leaders, groups including AdvaMed, the American Clinical Laboratory Association, the American Medical Association and the American Hospital Association said the legislation is needed to stabilize Medicare payments for diagnostics set under the Medicare Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule, or CLFS.

The organizations support a bill called the Reforming and Enhancing Sustainable Updates to Laboratory Testing Services Act, or RESULTS, that would direct the CMS to contract with