ACLA Launches “Stop Lab Cuts” Campaign Urging Congress to Enact SALSA
November 18, 2022The American Clinical Laboratory Association (ACLA) has launched the Stop Lab Cuts advocacy campaign, urging Congress to stop further Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule (CLFS) cuts under the Protecting Access to Medicare Act (PAMA) through the enactment of the Saving Access to Laboratory Services Act (SALSA).
The campaign includes advertising, media outreach, grassroots engagement, stakeholder education, and a comprehensive website with several shareable resources such as:
- Short videos targeting lab professionals, doctors, and patients
- A social media tool kit providing several post copy examples and graphics
- Educational FAQ documents providing answers to the most common questions
- Downloadable fact sheets summarizing the issue and encouraging Congress to enact SALSA
On September 20, the campaign hosted an Advocacy Day on Twitter to raise awareness and encourage supporters to share social posts about the issue using the #StopLabCuts hashtag. ACLA developed a social media tool kit equipped with social post copy examples and graphics available for use. According to the ACLA, over 500,000 Twitter users were reached that week as part of their efforts.
The campaign emphasizes that routine preventive services, like clinical laboratory tests, are vital to uncovering and addressing diseases early, ensuring timely treatment and better patient outcomes. While these services are important for everyone, they’re especially important for older adults, who are at higher risk for developing disease.
In 2014, PAMA was introduced to ensure Medicare-reliant seniors maintained access to critical health services, but instead, because of the flawed approach in implementation, PAMA has resulted in payment cuts amounting to $4 billion thus far.1 Without Congressional intervention and with more cuts pending on the horizon, access to services is seriously threatened for Medicare beneficiaries.
Did you know?
Since PAMA, 72% of tests on the CLFS have faced payment cuts.
So, what’s the solution?
Reform PAMA and stop reimbursement cuts. If enacted, SALSA would require the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to rework Medicare’s CLFS so that it reflects a statistically valid sample of private payor rates from the laboratory market. This means that data would include applicable laboratories, such as independent labs, hospital labs, hospital outreach labs, and physician office labs—all of which provide clinical laboratory services to seniors. In contrast, information was gathered from less than 1% of the nation’s laboratories under the PAMA implementation.2
PAMA vs SALSA: 2023 Clinical Lab Fee Schedule Predictions.
Time is of the essence. Action must be taken prior to the next round of Medicare payment cuts. Starting January 2023, cuts are set to be as much as 15%. The COVID-19 pandemic underscored just how essential our laboratories are to keeping us safe. If faced with further cuts, laboratories may be forced to make decisions to reduce lab volumes and services. Reforming PAMA helps ensure stability within the lab industry and that seniors maintain access to the care they need.
To learn more about ACLA’s Stop Lab Cuts campaign and to add your voice, visit their website.
Check out XiFin’s PAMA Headquarters to keep up with the latest on PAMA and SALSA.