Support Direct Billing Legislation

ASCP needs your help! Please join ASCP, the Georgia Association of Pathologists, and the College of American Pathologists by urging your state representatives to support HB 342, which calls for direct billing of anatomical pathology services.

This bill will protect Georgia patients against inappropriate billing practices that can occur when clinicians bill for laboratory services at rates exceeding those charged by clinical laboratories.

ASCP is concerned about the adverse impact markups have on Georgia’s health care system. The potential for profit by marking up test charges can distort medical decision-making, cause over-utilization, increase costs and result in unfair competition.

It can also adversely affect patient care.

The Federal government mandates direct billing for all federally funded programs to protect against potential billing abuses. Shouldn’t states do the same? Any effort to avert questionable billing practices and protect the well-being of patients should be the goal of every state.

There is also an ethical imperative involved. HB 342 is consistent with ethics standards outlined by the American Medical Association (AMA) which state that “a physician should not charge a markup, commission, or profit on the services rendered by others…”

Direct billing assures that patient care and quality come first in the laboratory and that practices such as mark-ups, over-utilization and inflated health care costs are not obstacles in providing quality care.

Please click on the link to send a message to your state representative. Your action on this issue should only take a few short minutes and could be the key in assuring direct billing for laboratory services in Georgia.