Advocacy - Lab Advocate
On April 10, 2026, ADLM joined a broad coalition of laboratory, medical, public health, and patient advocacy organizations in urging congressional appropriators to increase funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Clinical Standardization Programs in the Fiscal Year 2027 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies appropriations bill. The letter requests an additional $7.2 million for the CDC’s Environmental Health Laboratory to support continued progress in standardizing, or harmonizing, clinical laboratory test results across the healthcare system.
The coalition emphasized that clinical laboratory testing plays a central role in diagnosis, treatment, and disease management, but results for the same test can vary between laboratories even when each laboratory is performing accurately within its own methodology. These differences can create confusion for clinicians, affect treatment decisions, and increase costs across the healthcare system. The letter notes that this challenge is especially significant for conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, kidney and bone diseases, certain cancers, and women’s health conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome.
The letter also highlights the growing importance of harmonized laboratory data as healthcare increasingly relies on data analytics and artificial intelligence-driven decision support tools. The coalition points to the Food and Drug Administration’s SHIELD collaborative community strategic plan, as well as findings from the Bipartisan Congressional Task Force on Artificial Intelligence, both of which underscore the importance of uniform standards and interoperable medical data to support effective use of AI in healthcare.
In addition to its impact on patient care and health system efficiency, the coalition stressed that CDC’s work complements private-sector innovation by helping in vitro diagnostics manufacturers and clinical laboratories develop more accurate tests and remain globally competitive. Congress’s past investments in the CDC Clinical Standardization Programs have already helped improve test quality, strengthen testing devices, and support collaboration with strategic partners to expand standardization efforts and adoption.
ADLM remains committed to advancing policies that support laboratory test harmonization and standardization, recognizing their importance for improving patient outcomes, lowering healthcare costs, and building the data infrastructure needed for the future of healthcare.