New Report Highlights Value of Clinical Labs to U.S. Economy
Washington, D.C. – The American Clinical Laboratory Association (ACLA) today released new economic data highlighting the contributions of clinical laboratories to the economy and the job market in the United States.
The findings provide a snapshot of the benefits clinical labs provide to the national economy as well as states and local communities. Clinical laboratories support more than 688,000 jobs in the workforce, bringing $44.75 billion in wages to American workers. The industry pays more than $9.81 billion in federal taxes.
The report, sponsored by ACLA and conducted by John Dunham & Associates, used public data and ACLA member data to draw its conclusions, examining records from more than 53,600 laboratories nationwide.
“Providers and patients know that in addition to delivering valuable health information, labs also drive significant savings for the health system—helping identify and diagnose diseases in earlier stages before costly interventions are necessary,” Julie Khani, ACLA President, said. “This new report examines the value of clinical laboratories through a different lens—focusing on the industry’s important economic contributions to communities all across the country.”
At a time when the very existence of some local laboratories is being threatened by the government’s flawed implementation of the Protecting Access to Medicare Act (PAMA), this new analysis reinforces the important human and economic costs at stake if senseless cuts to Medicare reimbursement for lab services continue.
“Now more than ever, we must fight to protect seniors’ access to their essential lab benefits which continue to be threatened under the flawed implementation of PAMA,” said Khani.
To explore the findings of this year’s economic report, click here.
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ACLA is a not-for-profit association representing the nation’s leading clinical and anatomic pathology laboratories, including national, regional, specialty, hospital, ESRD and nursing home laboratories. The clinical laboratory industry employs nearly 295,000 people directly, and generates over 117,000 additional jobs in supplier industries. Clinical laboratories are at the forefront of personalized medicine, driving diagnostic innovation and contributing more than $106 billion to the nation’s economy.
