As ICD-10 Implementation Approaches October 1 Deadline, Clinical Pathology Laboratories Wonder if Providers and Payers Will Make a Smooth Transition

Medical laboratories and anatomic pathology groups could face payment delays if physicians fail to code lab test claims properly using ICD-10 codes Just weeks remain before the implementation to ICD-10 begins. This will be a delicate time for clinical laboratories and anatomic pathology groups, since labs must rely on physicians to provide accurate ICD codes that labs must submit on test claims in order to be reimbursed by payers. The much-delayed shift from ICD-9 to ICD-10 diagnosis codes...

Growth in High Deductible Health Plans Cause Savvy Clinical Labs and Pathology Groups to Collect Full Payment at Time of Service

Medical laboratories can increase revenue and reduce bad debt by using technology to verify patient ID and insurance information before a specimen is provided Due to a need to collect payment directly from the growing number of patients with high-deductible health plans, many clinical laboratories and anatomic pathology groups are experiencing flat or even declining cash flow. This issue has medical lab CFOs scrambling to find solutions. Moreover, this problem is noticeably greater in 2014...

Rising Patient Bad Debt Levels Reported by Hospitals and Clinical Pathology Laboratories

Blame it on employers requiring higher deductibles of employees, often starting at $1,500 per year Employers continue to increase the amount of deductibles and co-pays in their health benefit plans. This has a direct consequence for clinical laboratories and pathology groups, because it often creates the need to collect more money from patients at the time of service. A recent survey showed that employers are changing health benefit plans to require workers to pay more money for both insurance...

In Massachusetts, Blues Ink Pact with Partners HealthCare to Implement Alternative Quality Contract with Global Payment

Early evidence is that the AQC arrangement encourages providers to more carefully  utilize ancillary services, including clinical laboratory and pathology testing Much attention is being given to the new healthcare payment models being introduced by the Medicare program during 2012. However, quietly—and with much less publicity—private health plans are deploying innovative, value-based payment models. These developments need to be watched by clinical laboratory managers and pathologists, since...
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