PAMA-Fix Bill Expected in Early September

An early start to summer recess for Congress thwarted the potential
for introduction of a PAMA-fix bill in July. ACLA President Susan Van Meter is now anticipating that PAMA-reform advocates in the House and Senate will introduce bills after Congress returns in early September. The hope is that PAMA-reform language can be attached to a larger healthcare bill this fall.

Should there be no progress here by October, the lab industry is likely to push for another one-year delay, or even a six-month delay. Without new legislation, Medicare CLFS rate cuts for nearly 800 lab tests will take effect on January 1, 2026. In addition, independent labs, hospitals and large POLs will be required to report their private-payer volume and payment data for 1,447 lab test codes by March 31, 2026.

CMS will use this data to determine Medicare CLFS rates for 2027-2029.