NILA's Advocacy Achievements on Behalf of Community and Regional Laboratories

2020: Obtained additional one-year delay in reporting private payor data plus a one-year delay in additional PAMA cuts to the Part B CLFS.

2020: Advocate for and received direct funding to laboratories to help during COVID-19 pandemic.

2019: Persuaded Congress to “fix” PAMA through the LAB Act (HR 3584), which was signed into law on December 20, 2019.

2019: Cosigned with 30 other laboratory organizations a December 2, 2019, letter to Congress supporting Passage of the LAB Act (H.R. 3584)

2019: Engaged in efforts to amend laboratory provisions in the “Eliminating Kickbacks in Recovery Act (EKRA).”

2018: Filed two Amicus Briefs in support of lawsuit challenging CMS’s implementation of the PAMA regulations.

2017: 60-day delay (until May 30, 2017) of the March 31, 2017, deadline for reporting private payor data to CMS.

2016: A letter to CMS signed by 88 Members of the U.S. House of Representatives expressing concern about the implementation of Section 216 of PAMA requiring the reporting of private payor payment rates.

2016: CMS agreeing to NILA’s request to reprice definitive drug testing codes G0480-G0483.

2016: The withdrawal of the FDA’s October 3, 2014, Draft Guidances regulating Laboratory Developed Tests (LDTs).

2015: No Laboratory Fee Schedule cuts in the permanent “Doc Fix” (SGR) legislation.

2014: A $2 increase in specimen collection fees for SNF/homebound patients.

2013: Winning several lawsuits that forced the New York State Health Department to refund over $23 million in Permit Fee/Overcharges to New York licensed laboratories.

2011: Repealing a CMS Requirement for physician signatures on all Part B clinical laboratory requisitions.

2007: Blocking CMS’s Competitive Bidding Demonstration Project for Part B CLFS payments.

2003: Defeating a Congressional proposal to reinstitute a 20% copayment on Part B Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule (CLFS) payments.