Saving Access to Laboratory Services Act

Saving Access to Laboratory Services Act

This bill modifies provisions relating to Medicare payment rates for clinical diagnostic laboratory services, including by requiring payment rates for certain widely available clinical diagnostic laboratory tests to be based on a statistical sampling of private sector rates.

Bill 118 HR 2377, also known as the Saving Access to Laboratory Services Act, is a piece of legislation currently being considered by the US Congress. The main purpose of this bill is to address concerns regarding access to laboratory services for Medicare beneficiaries.

The bill aims to prevent significant cuts to Medicare reimbursement rates for laboratory services that were scheduled to take effect in 2022. These cuts were originally put in place as part of the Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014, but many in the healthcare industry have raised concerns about the potential negative impact these cuts could have on access to essential laboratory services for Medicare beneficiaries.

If passed, the Saving Access to Laboratory Services Act would delay these reimbursement rate cuts for an additional two years, giving Congress more time to evaluate the potential impact of these cuts and come up with a more sustainable solution. The bill also includes provisions for a study to be conducted on the impact of these cuts on access to laboratory services for Medicare beneficiaries. Overall, the Saving Access to Laboratory Services Act is aimed at ensuring that Medicare beneficiaries continue to have access to essential laboratory services without facing significant financial barriers. It is currently being debated in Congress, and its fate will ultimately be decided by lawmakers in the coming months.