Clinical Laboratory Practitioners Speak Out on Capitol Hill

Extract

Clinical laboratory professionals representing many levels of practice and a variety of institutions and organizations converged on Washington DC March 17-18, 2008 to attend the 20^th Annual ASCLS Legislative Symposium. The symposium, which was co-sponsored by ASCP and CLMA, provides an opportunity for clinical laboratory professionals to review legislative and regulatory issues affecting the clinical laboratory and to meet with members of Congress and their staffs to share the concerns and positions of the laboratory community.

A show of hands determined that about half of the “Leg Day” attendees were first-timers, including a number of students. Also participating this year were the members of the inaugural class of the ASCLS Leadership Academy. The group of individuals that had previously attended included a handful that had attended all twenty Legislative Symposia!

The first day activities were designed to assure that even the “rookies” would be comfortable with the issues and the process of lobbying. The morning session included an overview and impact of legislative and regulatory issues. ASCLS, ASCP, and CLMA staff and legislative liaisons, as well as members of the ASCLS Government Affairs Committee, discussed the federal budget proposals, competitive bidding for clinical laboratory services, potential legislation to modernize the clinical laboratory fee schedule, and the laboratory personnel shortage. Judy Yost from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) provided a CLIA update.

The update on the Competitive Bidding Demonstration Project included an overview of the legislative background for the project, a review of bidding requirements, the current status,…