CMS announces delays in payment cuts and reporting requirements for certain clinical laboratories

The recently enacted Consolidated Appropriations Act delays by one year, until Jan. 1, 2024, payment reductions of up to 15% under the Medicare Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services noted in an update this week. The Act also delays by one year the requirements for certain hospital outreach laboratories, independent clinical laboratories and physician offices to report private payer data for certain clinical laboratory services. Data reporting for these laboratories will instead take place between January through March 2024. See the CMS webpage for details.