ACLA Blog
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For patient facing mystery illness, the path to a life-changing diagnosis started with a lab test
For seven years, Cid Lopez suffered from a painful mystery illness. Worst of all, after visiting a number of specialists and undergoing multiple surgeries – including several painful spinal operations and a procedure to remove his gallbladder – he was no closer to identifying his condition. But everything changed when a sharp-eyed doctor ordered a very specific set of lab tests, unlocking the answersContinue Reading »... -
For patients living with chronic disease, routine testing drives healthier outcomes, better clinical decision making
Routine lab testing is often the starting point for care, driving accurate diagnosis and early treatment for millions of patients. This is especially true for the six in ten adults in the U.S. living with a chronic disease, who often require routine monitoring to reduce complications and manage their conditions. In particular, clinical laboratory diagnostics have a significant role in preventative care for heartContinue Reading »... -
For Seniors in Rural Communities, Erosion of Lab Benefits is an Urgent Threat
One in four seniors in the United States lives in a rural area—a notable statistic considering the unique set of health challenges these communities face. Nearly 80% of rural America is “medically underserved,” according to the federal government. Seniors living in these parts of the country have far fewer options for care and are often required to travel significant distances just to get theContinue Reading »... -
During emergencies and in everyday life, labs support public health goals
Clinical laboratory diagnostics advance public health goals in communities across the country every single day. For patients facing diabetes, heart disease, liver disease, kidney disease, prostate and colon cancers, anemia, infections and countless other common health conditions, routine lab tests are often the starting point for monitoring, diagnosing and treating disease. But our role in public health doesn’t stop there. Commercial labs have aContinue Reading »... -
New analysis challenges GAO Report’s assumptions on lab billing
A new analysis from Braid-Forbes Health Research exposes the Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) flawed assumptions about lab billing practices by presenting survey data on more than 20 million actual clinical laboratory claims. Braid-Forbes’ analysis of publicly available data demonstrates that the GAO’s claim – that labs are receiving “excess payments” by charging Medicare for individual component tests in greater numbers rather than charging reducedContinue Reading »... -
With all eyes on cancer moonshot, labs continue to prove value
In 2019, an estimated 1.7 million new cancer cases will be diagnosed in the U.S., according to the American Cancer Society. As patients and their families across the country grapple with how to manage and overcome this painful disease, clinical labs are busy developing and providing innovative methods to identify, diagnose and monitor cancer. From early detection and evaluating the best course of treatment,Continue Reading »... -
GAO acknowledges recent report projected lab spending based on hypothetical framework
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), often referred to as the “congressional watchdog,” is supposed to examine how taxpayer dollars are spent, and then provide Congress and federal agencies with objective, reliable information to help save money and work efficiently. And yet, following growing pushback to a recent report on laboratory billing practices in the Medicare program, James Cosgrove, GAO health care director andContinue Reading »... -
Clinical laboratory diagnostics play key role in understanding heart health
Through innovation and advances in science, the health system has made significant progress in identifying and treating cardiovascular disease – the most significant development being the reduction in heart attacks and strokes. In fact, from 1980 to 2014, the number of Americans dying from cardiovascular disease dropped in half. While we now know more than ever before about the risk factors associated with heartContinue Reading »... -
Leading a new generation of personalized medicine, LDTs must be key consideration in diagnostic reform
Lab developed tests (LDTs) are essential to health care delivery and the broader health system, helping pave the way for a new era of personalized medicine and making it possible to achieve national health goals like the Cancer Moonshot. These vital tests are developed and performed by individual laboratories, providing reliable, early diagnosis for many rare and increasingly complex conditions. In many cases, LDTsContinue Reading »... -
Seniors managing diabetes are counting on Congress to protect their essential lab services
For America’s seniors, diabetes is now the number one health condition leading to frequent emergency room visits, according to a recent study in the Annals of Internal Medicine. On top of that staggering statistic, the CDC reports that one in four seniors has diabetes—the highest prevalence among any age group. Most patients know that disease monitoring and management requires reliable access to routine testing.Continue Reading »...
