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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Florida Rheumatologist Says UnitedHealthcare’s Management Program for Clinical Laboratory Tests Could Jeopardize Patient Care

Miami physician asks why UnitedHealthcare requires use of the BeaconLBS system for authorization for recommended medical laboratory tests that may help identify lymphoma early

In Florida, the confrontation between one of the nation’s largest health insurance corporations and physicians, clinical laboratory managers, and pathologists continues. The source of this confrontation are the restrictive and burdensome requirements for medical laboratory test ordering imposed last fall by UnitedHealthcare (NYSE:UNH) and administered by BeaconLBS, a business division of Laboratory Corporation of America (NYSE:LH).

For Florida rheumatologist Olga Kromo, M.D., UnitedHealthcare’s new decision-support system that physicians are required to use when ordering clinical laboratory tests is highly flawed. (more…)

National Institutes of Health Creates Partnership with Big Pharma to Improve Development Success of New Drugs and Diagnostics and Speed FDA Clearance

Pathology groups and clinical laboratories are among the beneficiaries if the Accelerating Medicines Partnership achieves its goals

Power players in healthcare are about to invest nearly a quarter of a billion dollars to accelerate the time it takes for new medical discoveries to gain regulatory approval and enter clinical use. The emphasis will be on both therapeutic drugs and diagnostics, making this an important development for in vitro diagnostics companies and medical laboratories.

Anchors to this new initiative are the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Their partners are 10 pharmaceutical companies and six nonprofit groups. The goal is to jumpstart research to find targets for new drugs and diagnostics, noted a Genomeweb.com article. (more…)

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