News, Analysis, Trends, Management Innovations for
Clinical Laboratories and Pathology Groups

Hosted by Robert Michel

News, Analysis, Trends, Management Innovations for
Clinical Laboratories and Pathology Groups

Hosted by Robert Michel
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Medical Device Companies May Pass New 2.3% Federal Excise Tax Along to Healthcare Providers, Including Clinical Pathology Laboratories

Lots of controversy is associated with this new tax levy that was mandated by the Affordable Care Act

Will it be medical device manufacturers or their customers—including medical laboratories—who pay the new 2.3% medical device tax that became effective on January 1, 2013? That question is being asked by healthcare policymakers and experts, as well as pathologists and clinical laboratory administrators.

This new tax is mandated by the Affordable Care Act on medical device sales to healthcare providers. It taxes gross receipts of more than $5 million for manufacturers and importers of medical devices and is unpopular within the medical device industry, including in vitro diagnostics (IVD) manufacturers. (more…)

Do GPOs Help Hospitals and Clinical Laboratories Save Money? GAO Report Answers That Question

GAO investigates certain business practices of group purchasing organizations


For years, hospitals and clinical pathology laboratories have wondered exactly how much money is saved when they use the services of group purchasing organizations (GPOs). Now a newly-published government report provides interesting details about the financial activities of GPOs.

In response to a Congressional directive, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently studied GPOs and released a report on their findings. The GAO’s report will be of particular interest for pathologists and medical laboratory managers working in hospital laboratories.

GAO Report Looks at GPO Activities in 2008

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Global Location Numbers (GLNs) Soon to Be Used by Clinical Pathology Laboratories

Uniform tracking standard will revolutionize healthcare purchasing nationwide


Most pathologists and clinical laboratory managers are not aware that implementation of global location numbers (GLNs) will occur in just a few months. Every healthcare provider in the United States and many other nations will get a unique GLN.

The entire purchasing and shipping side of healthcare is poised to adopt a universal standard that will ensure the precise delivery of products to their final destinations. Clinical laboratories and anatomic pathology groups will no longer experience delays caused by lost or incorrectly delivered supplies. At least that’s the hope of most of the nation’s major group purchasing organizations (GPO).

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