Clinical labs likely to face challenges under ICD-10
ICD10monitor
When ICD-10 implementation becomes a reality on Oct. 1, 2015, clinical laboratories will continue to experience challenges related to the submission of test requisitions, no matter how prepared they are internally. Administrative problems that exist under ICD-9 will not go away; in fact, they could worsen under ICD-10 if the ordering providers are not ready for the change.
United Beacon Laboratory Management program
The Florida Society of Pathologists held a conference call in August, 2015 with members of the Texas Society of Pathologists and the CAP to discuss the current issues, questions and known impact to date for the new United Beacon Laboratory Management Program that includes antaomic pathology. Immediate Past President Brett Cantrell, M.D. summarized the Florida experience to date. The pilot program began in Florida on April 1, 2015. Clinicians are required to submit pre-notification for clinical laboratory tests and anatomic pathology specimens.
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2015 Summer Anatomic Pathology Conference:
Another hit socially and educationally
The 2015 FSP Annual Summer Anatomic Pathology Conference was a rousing success! If you were in attendance, we're pleased that you were able to support your Society and hear tremendous educational lectures. If you could not attend this year, you will want to mark your calendar for our next meeting – Feb. 12-14, 2016 – to be held at the Disney Contemporary Resort, Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, Florida!
Clinical pathology labs take note: Death march for fee-for-service payment model continues as support for change gathers steam
Dark Daily
Today there is wide recognition in healthcare that the days of fee-for-service medicine are numbered. But what is less certain is how fast government and private payers will introduce other reimbursement models, such as bundled payments and budgeted payments. Clinical laboratories and anatomic pathology groups likely will be the most impacted by this payment shift since their economics are driven by high volumes and FFS payment.
Read Florida Society of Pathologists comment to First Coast Service Options on the draft Local Coverage Determination: Special Histochemical Stains and Immunohistochemical Stains (DL36324)
Dear Dr. Corcoran and Dr. Polsky,
The Florida Society of Pathologists (FSP), representing more than 350 pathologists in the state of Florida, appreciates this opportunity to comment on the draft Local Coverage Determination: Special Histochemical Stains and Immunohistochemical Stains (DL36324).
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Florida Pathologists Call to Action
FSP
Our Florida medicare service provider, First Coast Service Options, has a draft local coverage determination submitted for public comment by July 27, 2015. This dLCD essentially mirrors the restrictive Palmetto LCD that was approved earlier for that service area. This broad dLCD covers a wide range of pathology anatomic services including breast, GI, GU, lung and skin. Your FSP has been actively interacting with FCSO and with the CAP and is requesting changes to this dLCD.
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Sizeable deductibles cause patients to owe more money to clinical pathology labs, spurring labs to get smarter about collecting
Dark Daily
In today's clinical laboratory marketplace, competency in revenue management is becoming just as important as clinical excellence. Blame it on these multi-year trends: shrinking lab budgets, Medicare price cuts, and payers excluding labs from narrow networks. At the dawn of this decade — just five years ago — few pathologists and clinical lab executives would have predicted that the financial survival of their lab organizations would depend upon becoming more proficient and more sophisticated with billing and collections.
NIH's drug lab is shut down after FDA finds quality failures
Bloomberg
A U.S.-run laboratory that makes drugs for the National Institutes of Health's clinical trials failed a government quality inspection and will be temporarily shut down. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the government regulator that spends much of its time making sure drug companies follow exacting quality standards, inspected the NIH's Pharmaceutical Development Section. The lab makes drugs that are used in government-sponsored clinical trials at the NIH hospital in Bethesda, Maryland. Operations at the lab have been suspended.
Has the time come for integration of radiology and pathology?
Dark Daily
For years, certain pathologists and radiologists have floated the idea that an integrated diagnostic service involving both medical specialties could improve patient safety and contribute to improved patient outcomes. Now that the U.S. healthcare system is encouraging tighter integration of clinical services, advocates of an integrated diagnostic service involving radiology and pathology believe that the era of integrated diagnostics may be soon upon us.
Florida State Legislative Session Recap
FSP
As of April 28, 2015, the Florida Legislature adjourned sine die in a historic way. Due to a bitter impasse between House Republicans and the Senate over Medicaid expansion, the House packed up their bags and went home three days early before the official May 1 adjournment. This was an unprecedented and historic end to a contentious session. As a result of the surprise shut-down, every piece of legislation relating to healthcare, with the exception of a clinical laboratory bill that we amended and supported (see SB 738), failed passage. We worked hard on so many issues for over six months including prohibition against balance billing, a potential fix to the Beacon/United issue, telemedicine, prohibiting reimbursement tied to a Medicare standard, and many others.
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Phone: (904) 309-6261
Email: contact@flpath.org
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