Press Releases

WASHINGTON – House Small Business Committee Chairman Steve Chabot (R-OH) and Ranking Member Nydia Velázquez (D-NY) led a bipartisan group of lawmakers in asking Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Matthews Burwell to review new Medicare regulations that may harm small medical laboratories and the senior citizens they serve. The letter was signed by several members of the Small Business Committee in response to concerns over the Department of Health and Human Services implementation of the Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014 (PAMA).  

“We are concerned that under the process outlined in final regulations issued on June 17, 2016, many laboratories, especially small community and regional laboratories, may not have the necessary reporting capabilities in place,” the bipartisan group of lawmakers wrote in their letter. “These laboratories could struggle to properly report data and comply with the regulations, which could result in significant problems for CMS’ implementation efforts, as highlighted in a recent report issued by the Office of the Inspector General (OIG). In addition, the impact of these regulations could ultimately threaten the ability of small laboratories to provide needed services to Medicare beneficiaries.”

In their letter, Chabot and Velázquez emphasized the importance of small medical laboratories to small and rural communities across America. By jeopardizing Medicare payments for these small businesses and subjecting them to new penalties, the Committee leaders expressed concern that the facilities will be unable to continue to serve senior citizens who depend on them.  

You can read the full bipartisan letter HERE.