ADLM continues advocating for passage of the bipartisan Reforming and Enhancing Sustainable Updates to Laboratory Testing Services (RESULTS) Act, H.R. 5269/S. 2761, as laboratories face renewed Medicare payment reductions beginning January 1, 2027. On October 13, ADLM joined stakeholders on Capitol Hill to urge congressional support for the legislation ahead of scheduled Medicare laboratory payment reductions beginning January 1, 2027. The association supports the lab community in support of replacing repeated temporary delays with lasting changes to the Protecting Access to Medicare Act (PAMA) reimbursement framework.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ preliminary 2027 Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule data underscore the urgency of congressional action. Of approximately 1,500 test codes with reported private-payor medians, 1,171 had medians below their 2026 Medicare payment rates. Under current law, annual reductions are capped at 15% through 2029. These figures remain preliminary and should not be confused with finalized payment rates.
The RESULTS Act would use an independent nonprofit claims database to establish rates for widely available tests, reduce reporting requirements, and improve the representation of payment data. It would also prevent reductions through 2028 and limit annual cuts to 5% beginning in 2029. ADLM has endorsed the legislation as a means of improving payment stability and protecting patient access to laboratory services.
Members can reinforce this effort by urging their senators and representatives to support the RESULTS Act and explaining how continued payment reductions could affect testing services in their communities.