Congress
ASCP Advocates Flood Senate with over 2,500 Letters on Laboratory Co-Pays
House, Senate Continue to Haggle over Health Care Reform
When the Senate Finance Committee proposed adding a 20 percent co-pay to Medicare-covered lab tests earlier this summer, the laboratory community rose in opposition. ASCP advocates flooded Senate offices with more than 2,500 letters. Advocates maintained that co-pays would place an undue burden on a population already struggling during difficult economic times, discouraging Medicare beneficiaries from getting tests needed for prevention, wellness, diagnosis and treatment. Legislators were urged to remove laboratory co-pays from the health care reform debate. Lawmakers are scheduled to return after the Labor Day Recess and health care reform will continue to dominate the work they will tackle. Voice your opinion about laboratory co-pays here: http://capwiz.com/ascpath/home/.
Efforts to reform the nation’s health care system have always seemed to be an arduous task; striking a balance between providing quality health care and covering the uninsured as well as realizing a cost savings is no easy feat. Present efforts appear to be no different as both House and Senate committees continue to haggle over details in various proposals being considered. Add to that an Administration that has set health care reform among its primary objectives and a polarized citizenry, and it appears that the process of reforming the nation’s health care system may be long and contentious.
In July, the Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions Committee (HELP) approved its version of the legislation. In addition, a House Tri-Committee proposal composed of Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, as well as Education and Labor introduced H.R. 3200. In late July the Energy and Commerce Committee approved the measure. The House Ways and Means and the Education and Labor Committees are scheduled to take up the measure when Congress reconvenes. To view the full text of the Tri-Committee proposal, click here.
ASCP will continue to monitor the deliberations around health care reform and will report on progress, particularly on issues related directly to the laboratory community.
Federal
ASCP Comments on CMS-Proposed Physician Fee Schedule
ASCP recently submitted comments on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed physician fee schedule for 2010. The Society urged the agency to fix loopholes in the anti-markup rule on anatomic pathology services and applauded the proposed changes to the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR). The SGR is used to determine the annual update on the physician fee schedule.
ASCP expressed its disappointment that the proposed schedule “failed to address several technical flaws with its anti-markup rule on diagnostic services.” To close these loopholes, ASCP urged CMS to require that the TC of a pathology service be supervised by a pathologist. ASCP also called on CMS to reinstate the purchased-test rules.
ASCP applauded CMS’s proposal to retroactively remove the cost of physician-administered drugs from the SGR formula. The inclusion of these drugs in the calculation of the SGR has adversely impacted the annual update in the physician fee schedule. While the change by itself will not address the projected 22 percent cut in the physician fee schedule, it should help mitigate the adverse impact physician administered drugs has had on the annual update.
ASCP also expressed concern with CMS’ requirement regarding whether a physician signature is necessary for laboratory orders and requisitions. ASCP urged CMS to establish one standard to reduce the likelihood of confusion, which could delay the processing of laboratory and pathology services and result in administrative red flags regarding reimbursement requests.