Earlier today, in its formal comments sent in response to the release of preliminary pricing for the 2018 Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule (CLFS), ASCLS urged the Department of Health and Human Services to postpone implementation of the new CLFS until it can work with stakeholders to properly collect data that accurately reflects the market and demonstrated its ability to appropriately analyze that data.

In the letter from ASCLS President Debra Rodahl, the Society objected to the "careless implementation of these proposed rates. If implemented, the loss of access to services will cause increased morbidity and mortality across the healthcare system, felt most acutely in elderly populations and those who live in rural areas."

Specific objections were raised around:

• Reductions to HCPCS codes without National Limitation Amounts (NLA)
• Data collection that was skewed and resulted in artificially low weighted medians
• Data that lacks validation and contains significant numbers of errors
• A deeply-flawed process that will reduce access to care

Laboratorians who object to these cuts should continue to contact their members of Congress and share their concerns. ASCLS has setup an Action Center that makes it easy to talk to representatives and senators.