 | 05/09/08 - OIG Nixes Free Test Tube Labeling |
| A laboratory's proposal to label test tubes and specimen collection containers at no cost to dialysis facilities could potentially generate administrative sanctions under teh anti-kickback statute, the Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG) says in an advisory opinion released May 9 (No. 08-06).
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| 05/09/08 - FDA Clears ParagonDX's Warfarin Genotyping Test |
| Entering a crowded market, the company plans to compete on price and time-to-result.
Full Article |
| 05/08/08 - LabCorp Expands Companion Diagnostic Development Focus with Siemens Partnership |
| Laboratory testing leader expands presence in companion diagnostic sector
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| 05/07/08 - Molecular Dx: Global Market Growth to Top an Estimated $5B in ’08 |
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| 05/07/08 - HHS Issues Draft Compliance Guidance for Nursing Homes |
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| 05/07/08 - Maryland Enacts Direct Billing Law for Anatomic Pathology |
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| 05/07/08 - Top Advisory Panel Calls For FDA, CMS Changes in Genetic Test Oversight |
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| 05/07/08 - Beckman Coulter Licenses HCV Test from Siemens |
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| 05/07/08 - Myriad Genetics to Expand Direct-to-Consumer Marketing Campaign |
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| 05/07/08 - Court Dismisses Case Against Anti-Markup Rule |
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| 05/01/08 - House Passes Ban on Genetic Discrimination, Measure Ready for Signing |
| Legislation to protect patients from genetic discrimination by employers and health insurers cleared the House May 1 by a vote of 414-1 and now goes to the President who has indicated he will sign it. The legislation passed the Senate unanimously last week, by a vote of 95-0.
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| 04/25/08 - LabCorp Confronting Increased Bad Debt, DSO in Q1 |
| Company Confronting Challenging Economic Climate
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| 04/25/08 - Senate Passes Genetic Anti-Discrimination Bill |
| Legislation to protect Americans from genetic discrimination by employers and health insurers cleared the Senate April 24 by a vote of 95-0. The House is expected to follow suit soon and the President is expected to sign it into law.
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| 04/25/08 - Reproductive Testing Volume Helps Drives Genzyme Genetics Up 12% in Q1 |
| Higher volumes of reproductive testing contributes to growth in first quarter of 2008.
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| 04/22/08 - CMS Mandates Switch to Single Medicare ABN by Sept. 1 |
| By no later than Sept. 1 of this year, clinical laboratories, physicians, and other providers billing Medicare Part B must use the newly revised Advance Beneficiary Notice (ABN) recently issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The revised single-page ABN replaces the standardized general-use and lab-specific forms that CMS has required since 2003.
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| 04/22/08 - Global Healthcare, Lab M&A Markets Totaled $38M in Q1 08 |
| Lab insiders say that 2008 is off to a strong start in the mergers and acquisitions market.
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| 04/22/08 - OIG Modifies Self-Disclosure Protocol |
| Providers that resolve fraud matters using the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General's provider self-disclosure protocol generally will no longer be required to enter into corporate integrity agreements, IG Daniel R. Levinson announced April 15.
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| 04/22/08 - Quest's First Quarter Growth Fueled by Ameripath |
| Pathology acquisition boosts revenue, revenue per requisition at nation's largest laboratory services company.
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| 04/14/08 - Genzyme Genetics Launches Testing for Spinal Muscular Atrophy |
| Lab licenses Athena Diagnostics' genetic test for most common inherited cause of infant mortality.
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| 04/09/08 - Court Orders Halt to Lab Competitive Bidding Demo |
| A federal court issued an injunction that prevents the government from moving ahead until further notice. (See audio conference 5/8 below left)
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| 04/09/08 - FDA Clears Thermo Fisher’s MRSA Screening Test |
| The FDA has cleared test to screen for MRSA.
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| 04/09/08 - Study Finds Genetic Links to HIV Drug Response |
| New study findings could lead to novel tests to guide treatment of patients diagnosed with HIV.
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| 04/09/08 - Part B Lab Spending Climbs to $6.8 Billion |
| From 2002 to 2007, Part B lab spending increased an average 8 percent per year.
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| 04/09/08 - Positive Outlook Touted for Health Care, Lab M&A Markets |
| Some analysts maintain that health care—and particularly the clinical laboratory industry—will continue to be strong this year.
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| 04/09/08 - ACLA Challenging Medicare Ruling on Ionized Calcium |
| ACLA has asked CMS to withdraw Transmittal 83 that establishes ionized calcium as a test to be included in (AMCC) panel payment algorithm.
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| 04/09/08 - 'Physician Signature' Confusion Creating Problems for Labs |
| Language in CMS transmittal requiring a physician signature on laboratory requisitions is causing difficulties for labs.
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| 04/09/08 - Enforcement of Anti-Markup Rule Provision Blocked |
| A federal district judge has temporarily blocked the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) from enforcing a provision in a November 2007 rule that would have made substantial changes to the way physicians bill for anatomic pathology diagnostic testing services.
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| 04/08/08 - San Diego Competitive Bidding Demo Temporarily Halted |
| Judge Orders Preliminary Injunction Against CMS
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| 04/08/08 - San Diego Labs Clear Major Hurdle in Lawsuit to Stop Medicare Competitive Bidding |
| Judge rules that San Diego labs have jurisdiction in the case and set hearing date.
Full Article |
| 04/01/08 - Don't Just Survive, Thrive in the Web Environment |
| Spectrum has sustained a 20 percent plus annual growth rate since 2001, growing from $35M in revenue to $145M (estimated for 2007) in the past six years.
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