AdvaMed Praises Bipartisan Bill to Support Patient Access to Laboratory Testing
WASHINGTON – Today, AdvaMed, the medtech association, applauded the introduction in the House and Senate of the bipartisan Saving Access to Laboratory Services Act (SALSA) by Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Representatives Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Richard Hudson (R-NC), Bill Pascrell (D-NJ), and Scott Peters (D-CA).
SALSA addresses a flawed methodology implemented under the Protecting Patient Access to Medicare Act (PAMA), which was signed into law in 2014 to reform the Medicare Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule (CLFS). However, these reforms failed to account for nearly all hospital outreach labs and physician office labs, leading to massive cuts to labs most commonly ordering services for Medicare beneficiaries. Congress has previously found bipartisan support to delay cuts and CLFS reporting periods required under PAMA, but without permanent action under SALSA, labs will face further cuts. By updating and improving the PAMA reimbursement system, SALSA will help ensure that patients have access to the latest testing technology and innovation.
“The Saving Access to Laboratory Services Act is a critical piece of legislation for millions of patients who rely on laboratory testing to make sound medical decisions. Ensuring facilities remain open and accessible to patients is key to getting services into the hands of those who need it,” said Scott Whitaker, AdvaMed President and CEO. “The current, flawed system is placing a huge burden on labs, and could force many of them to close their doors. This not only hurts patients, it also stifles innovation as our members work on the next generation of laboratory tests. We look forward to working with lawmakers to get this bipartisan legislation over the finish line this year.”
SALSA would provide CMS with new authority to collect private market data through statistically valid sampling from all laboratory segments, particularly for the widely available test services where previous data collection was inadequate. This approach ensures that true private market rates are included and reduces the reporting burden, while protecting both labs and Medicare from sudden rate fluctuations by gradually phasing in any changes going forward. Overall, SALSA offers a comprehensive and effective solution for ensuring that patients have continued access to the latest laboratory testing innovations.
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AdvaMed member companies produce the medical devices, diagnostic products and health information systems that are transforming health care through earlier disease detection, less invasive procedures and more effective treatments. AdvaMed members range from the largest to the smallest medical technology innovators and companies. For more information, visit www.advamed.org.