The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has released a proposed rule that outlines the agency's plans to review each laboratory CPT code to determine whether technological changes have altered the costs of performing the test. The purpose of the proposal is to further cut laboratory fees. If the agency moves forward with this proposal, CMS would start with the older tests first, gradually reaching the more recently developed tests. Once fully implemented, every test code would be evaluated on a five-year rotation. The American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC) is asking laboratorians nationwide to take advantage of the public comment period and express their concerns about this proposal to CMS. Comments are due to the agency by Sept. 6, 2013.
AACC has provided instructions on how to submit comments electronically, and LABline is pleased to convey them to readers: Click on this link, which will take you to the regulatory comment page. In the search box, type “2013 and CMS-1600-p.” After you hit return, it will bring up a number of options. Choose the one that ends “Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule & Other Revisions to Part B for CY 2014.” Click on the Comment Box on the right side of the page and type in your comments. AACC is providing a sample comment letter that laboratorians can work from in crafting their own comments, or copy and paste as is.
