CMS to Conduct Public Meeting on Genetic and Molecular Laboratory Test Billing
Medicare officials seeking public comment during the July 18 meeting
Changes in how the Medicare program will reimburse pathology groups and clinical laboratories for genetic tests and molecular diagnostic assays will be one of the important topics at an upcoming meeting in Baltimore on July 18, 2011. The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will conduct the meeting at its headquarters and is asking for public comment as it develops coverage guidelines and reimbursement levels for the 2012 laboratory test fee schedule.
As many pathologists and medical laboratory managers know, a major effort to revise and update CPT codes for genetic and molecular tests performed by clinical laboratories is moving forward. The goal is to recognize advances in this field of diagnostic testing by updating the CPT codes. Another goal, widely supported by private health insurance plans, is to reduce the use of “code stacking” as the primary coding and claims methodology that must be used for a large number of genetic and molecular medical laboratory tests.
