CMS explains hospital outreach laboratory data reporting obligations

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has released updated resources intended to clarify whether a hospital outreach laboratory qualifies as an “applicable laboratory” under the Medicare Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule and detailing related requirements for collecting and reporting private-payer rate clinical laboratory test payment and volume data. The resources, which incorporate recent changes for clinical laboratories made in the Medicare CLFS and Physician Fee Schedule final rule for calendar year 2019, include an updated summary of the private-payer rate-based CLFS, a Medicare Learning Network article, and answers to Frequently Asked Questions.