Legislation Will Expand Access to Life-Saving Laboratory Tests

Bills in U.S. Senate & House will help eliminate barriers that discourage
doctors from ordering life-saving tests

WASHINGTON, June 10 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Late yesterday U.S. Senators
Arlen Specter (PA) and Ron Wyden (OR) introduced legislation that will improve
access to life-saving diagnostic tests for patients who might otherwise be
denied. The Patient Access to Critical Lab Tests Act (S. 1220) will eliminate
the complicated Medicare billing regulations which discourage hospitals from
ordering revolutionary laboratory tests needed to clarify complicated
diagnoses and identify uniquely effective methods of treatment. This bill
serves as a companion to HR 1699, introduced by U.S. Congressman Jason Altmire
(PA-04) and co-sponsored by U.S. Representatives Tim Murphy (PA-18), Mike
Doyle (PA-14), Anna Eshoo (CA-14), and Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-34).

The Patient Access to Critical Lab Tests Act dramatically improves patients'
access to potentially life-saving lab tests by allowing independent
laboratories to directly bill Medicare for the specialized tests they perform.
By streamlining the reimbursement process, Doctors will no longer be
discouraged to utilize their judgment and order the necessary tests capable of
improving the quality of treatment for their patients.

Current Medicare regulations thwart access to these important tests and
discourage innovation by requiring hospitals to act as middlemen in the
billing process. Laboratories are required to bill hospitals, and hospitals
are required to bill Medicare. The Patient Access to Critical Lab Tests Act
would permit independent laboratories that develop and perform certain
qualifying genetic, genomic or proteomic tests and cancer chemosensitivity
assays to bill Medicare directly.

The Coalition for 21st Century Medicine applauds Senators Wyden and Specter
for their leadership and looks forward to working with the entire Congress to
pass this vital legislation.

The Coalition for 21st Century Medicine represents some of the world's most
innovative diagnostic technology companies, clinical laboratories,
researchers, physicians, venture capitalists and patient advocacy groups - all
linked by a common mission to develop advanced diagnostics that improve the
quality of healthcare for patients. For more information about the Coalition
for 21st Century Medicine please visit
http://www.twentyfirstcenturymedicine.org.

SOURCE The Coalition for 21st Century Medicine

Joseph Eyer of the Coalition for 21st Century Medicine, +1-202-756-4158