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ACLA Launches “Stop Lab Cuts” Ad Campaign Urging Congress to Protect Access to Laboratory Services for America’s Seniors

Saving Access to Laboratory Services Act, ACLA News, All News, ACLA Press Releases

Washington, D.C. – The American Clinical Laboratory Association (ACLA) has launched a series of digital advertisements as part of the Stop Lab Cuts campaign to urge Congress to protect patient access to essential laboratory services by passing the Saving Access to Laboratory Services Act (S. 4449/H.R. 8188). As part this effort, digital advertisements will appear on news sites across the Beltway and online via publications in targeted states reaching policymakers, stakeholders, and America’s seniors and patients. 

If enacted, the Saving Access to Laboratory Services Act would make critical reforms to Medicare rate-setting for widely ordered laboratory services that provide daily, life-saving information for clinicians and patients across nearly all diseases. Tests that guide the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of diabetes, opioid addiction, many cancers, and numerous other conditions, have received three years of 10 percent cuts in reimbursement due to incomplete and unrepresentative payer rate data collected by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). If Congress fails to act, the next round of Medicare cuts would cut reimbursement for more than 800 commonly ordered tests, resulting in up to a 38 percent cumulative cut to tests that are widely used to screen and manage many serious and chronic diseases.

Through passage of this bipartisan, bicameral legislation, Congress can protect the delivery of routine care for patients, encourage innovation in next generation clinical laboratory tests, and strengthen the national clinical laboratory infrastructure to ensure we are prepared to manage future public health crises. 

“Our Stop Lab Cuts campaign is calling attention to the impact on patients and public health of the looming Medicare cuts to laboratory tests slated for January, which follow deep year-over-year cuts that have already hit America’s clinical laboratories,” said Susan Van Meter, ACLA President. “Diagnostic test results inform 70 percent of clinical decisions, helping clinicians and patients monitor health and devise personalized treatment plans for patients every day, while guiding public health responses such as with COVID-19 and monkeypox. Without congressional action this calendar year, laboratories will face a fourth round of Medicare payment cuts that will threaten access to critical services at a time when we should be strengthening our national laboratory infrastructure – not undermining it. This campaign is intended to raise awareness and spark further momentum to remedy these impending cuts through the bipartisan Saving Access to Laboratory Services Act.” 

The campaign website, StopLabCuts.org, will continue to serve as a central resource with frequent updates to include insights from patient, provider, and public health stakeholders, as well as leaders in the clinical laboratory industry. The website will also keep visitors informed on legislative activity and provide a direct opportunity to engage members of Congress on this important issue.

Background:

Absent congressional intervention, more than 800 tests will receive up to 15 percent cuts on January 1, 2023. This is on top of previous cuts between 2017 and 2022 that resulted in a 27 percent reimbursement cut for tests used to screen and diagnose diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic conditions. Some tests could see a cumulative cut of up to 38 percent. Collectively, these cuts may threaten access to laboratory services for diagnosing and treating seniors with a wide range of conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, liver disease, kidney disease, prostate and colon cancers, anemia, viral and bacterial infections, and opioid dependency, among others. Additionally, these cuts would come as clinical laboratories across the country face continued inflationary pressure on costs, labor, and supply shortages, as well as the ongoing demands of the pandemic.

More recently, ACLA’s multi-year legal challenge to the implementation of the Protecting Access to Medicare Act (PAMA) was resolved in ACLA’s favor with a ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. The Court of Appeals determined that CMS’ 2016 final rule defining an “applicable laboratory” was arbitrary and capricious. The court also found that laboratories have been harmed by PAMA’s implementation.

The Saving Access to Laboratory Services Act was introduced in June 2022 by Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Richard Burr (R-NC), along with Reps. Bill Pascrell (D-NJ), Scott Peters (D-CA), Richard Hudson (R-NC), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), and Kurt Schrader (D-OR). ACLA’s statement on the introduction of the bill is available here. 

To learn more about the Stop Lab Cuts campaign, visit StopLabCuts.org. 

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The American Clinical Laboratory Association (ACLA) is the national trade association representing leading laboratories that deliver essential diagnostic health information to patients and providers. ACLA members are at the forefront of driving diagnostic innovation to meet the country’s evolving health care needs and provide vital clinical laboratory tests that identify and prevent infectious, acute and chronic disease. ACLA works to advance the next generation of health care delivery through policies that expand access to lifesaving testing services.

ACLA Launches “Stop Lab Cuts” Campaign Urging Congress to Protect Patient Access to Laboratory Services

Saving Access to Laboratory Services Act, ACLA News, All News, Featured News, ACLA Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The American Clinical Laboratory Association (ACLA) has launched the Stop Lab Cuts campaign, calling on Congress to protect patient access to laboratory services by enacting the Saving Access to Laboratory Services Act (S. 4449/H.R. 8188) before the end of the year. 

The bipartisan, bicameral legislation would reform the 2014 Protecting Access to Medicare Act (PAMA), which has led to significant cuts to Medicare payments for routine laboratory tests that guide clinical decision-making. America needs a strong clinical laboratory infrastructure to support delivery of routine patient care and to ensure the nation is prepared to manage the next public health crisis. If enacted, the Saving Access to Laboratory Services Act would set a sustainable path for patient access to laboratory services, fostering innovation in the next generation of clinical diagnostics. 

“Without congressional intervention this year, laboratories across the country will face a fourth round of Medicare reimbursement cuts, which could threaten the delivery of routine care, undermine the clinical laboratory infrastructure needed to manage multiple public health challenges, and reduce investment in innovation,” said Susan Van Meter, ACLA President. “Congress has acted three times to delay these harmful reimbursement cuts, but long-term reform is needed to safeguard access to the essential tests that patients need.”

The campaign website, StopLabCuts.org, will serve as a central resource with frequent updates to include insights from patient, provider, and public health stakeholders, as well as leaders in the clinical laboratory industry. The website will also keep visitors informed on legislative activity and provide a direct opportunity to engage members of Congress on this important issue. 

Background:

Absent congressional intervention, more than 800 tests will receive up to 15 percent cuts on January 1, 2023. This is on top of previous rounds of cuts between 2017 and 2022 that resulted in payment for tests used to screen and diagnose diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic conditions to be cut by 27 percent. Some tests could see a cumulative cut of up to 38 percent. Collectively, these cuts may threaten access to laboratory services for diagnosing and treating seniors with a wide range of conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, liver disease, kidney disease, prostate and colon cancers, anemia, viral and bacterial infections, and opioid dependency, among others. Additionally, these cuts would come as clinical laboratories across the country face continued inflationary pressure on costs, labor, and supply shortages, as well as the ongoing demands of the pandemic.

The Saving Access to Laboratory Services Act was introduced in June 2022 by Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Richard Burr (R-NC), along with Reps. Bill Pascrell (D-NJ), Scott Peters (D-CA), Richard Hudson (R-NC), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), and Kurt Schrader (D-OR). ACLA’s statement on the introduction of the bill is available here. 

To learn more about the Stop Lab Cuts campaign, visit StopLabCuts.org. 

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The American Clinical Laboratory Association (ACLA) is the national trade association representing leading laboratories that deliver essential diagnostic health information to patients and providers. ACLA members are at the forefront of driving diagnostic innovation to meet the country’s evolving health care needs and provide vital clinical laboratory tests that identify and prevent infectious, acute and chronic disease. ACLA works to advance the next generation of health care delivery through policies that expand access to lifesaving testing services.

ACLA Welcomes Adam R. Borden as Senior Vice President of Policy and Strategy

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Washington, D.C. – The American Clinical Laboratory Association (ACLA) today welcomed Adam R. Borden as Senior Vice President of Policy and Strategy. 

“Adam brings a broad array of experiences and a deep understanding of the health policy landscape that will be invaluable as we work to advance our policy priorities.” said Susan Van Meter, President of ACLA. “We are thrilled to welcome Adam to the team and know his leadership in this new role will be a great asset to our members.” 

As Senior Vice President of Policy and Strategy, Borden will be focused on developing and implementing the Association’s forward-looking policy agenda that supports innovation in clinical laboratory testing. He joins the ACLA team with a diverse career in health care and extensive knowledge and understanding of federal health policy, provider reimbursement, and the changing landscape of health care delivery in the United States. 

Prior to joining ACLA, Borden served as Vice President of Market Access and Reimbursement at Cleerly, Inc. He previously was the Senior Director of Policy and Reimbursement Strategy at Siemens Healthineers, where he led strategic efforts for all business areas including imaging, laboratory diagnostics, and digital products. During this time, he also served as Chair of the Reimbursement Committee at the Medical Imaging & Technology Alliance (MITA), and Chair of the Diagnostics Payment Work Group at AdvaMedDx. 

Borden is a member of the Advisory Board at the Cancer Support Community’s Cancer Policy Institute, and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Rutgers University and a Master of Health Administration degree from A.T. Still University of Health Sciences.

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The American Clinical Laboratory Association (ACLA) is the national trade association representing leading laboratories that deliver essential diagnostic health information to patients and providers. ACLA members are at the forefront of driving diagnostic innovation to meet the country’s evolving health care needs and provide vital clinical laboratory tests that identify and prevent infectious, acute and chronic disease. ACLA works to advance the next generation of health care delivery through policies that expand access to lifesaving testing services.

“Pure Science”: How Basics at the Bench Drive Lab Results and Innovation

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This Laboratory Professionals Week, we honor the innovators, collaborators and colleagues who have gone above and beyond behind the scenes to meet patient need. Today, ACLA is celebrating Noël Pusey, a medical laboratory scientist at ARUP Laboratories, who says the basics of scientific practice are what propel him forward every day. 

Like many young college students, ARUP Laboratories’ Noël Pusey wasn’t sure where he wanted to focus his career path. A lover of both art and science, Noël decided to study microbiology before switching his major to medical technology – and ultimately diving headfirst into a career in laboratory science. 

As a blood bank specialist in the Immunohematology Reference Lab (IRL) at ARUP Laboratories, Noël has been using his creative fire to help solve laboratory puzzles in transfusion medicine for nearly three decades.  

“I’ve loved every minute of it,” says Noël. “The careful work of laboratorians has always been the foundation of critical medical decision-making.” 

“You do need to have a bit of a creative approach because it’s all problem-solving and trying to figure out what they can’t figure out somewhere else,” Noël explains. 

ARUP’s IRL handles both routine and complex serological testing for hospitals across the United States so that patients in need of blood transfusions are matched with the most suitable donors. This work demands painstaking accuracy because the outcome for a patient is so critical – it can literally mean the difference between life and death. 

“It seems a little trite to say, ‘the patient comes first,’” says Noël. “But that’s what we do: make sure the patient can receive a safe transfusion as quickly as possible. They are waiting on us to provide the answer.” 

For Noël, the bigger the diagnostic challenge, the better. Recently, a patient developed several antibodies to the donor blood they had recently received. His lab scrambled to diagnose the issue (a delayed transfusion reaction) and found a solution that stabilized the patient.  

“It’s fun to find those rare situations and to see the science at work,” he recalls. 

It’s a big part of why Noël loves what he does “on the bench.” Technology advancements like molecular genotypes and automation have created new ways for lab professionals to do their work – think titrating robots – but sometimes it comes back to the basics. 

“The main things we still use are test tubes and drops of blood,” says Noël. “It’s more of the pure science. It’s how things work and why things work.” 

Noël Pusey, a medical laboratory scientist in ARUP Laboratories’ Immunohematology Reference Lab, performs testing to ensure that patients in need of blood transfusions are matched to the most suitable donors.