Coalition Advocates for More Allergy Testing

By Ron Shinkman, Editor, Laboratory Industry Report

A new coalition has been formed to push for more laboratory-based allergy testing.

The Coalition for Equal Access to Allergy Testing (CEAAT) said it would push payers to cover more allergy testing. It noted that there are currently too many barriers before insurers will pay for such testing, particularly for enrollees in the Medicare and Medicaid programs.

“Allergies impact a growing number of Americans from all walks of life, but children and minorities are disproportionately impacted and may have trouble accessing the care they need,” said Inderpal Randhawa, M.D., a founding member of CEAAT, in a statement.

Data tends to confirm that assertion to some extent. A new study in Pediatrics, the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, concluded that low-income households pay twice as much in healthcare costs than wealthier households for children who have food allergies. Much of that cost goes toward emergency room visits and hospitalizations. By contrast, wealthier households spend more on specialty care and medications, suggesting greater access to preventative care.

Members of the coalition include prominent laboratory players, including Quest Diagnostics, LabCorp and Thermo Fisher Scientific.

“We are committed to closing the gap in healthcare access for people of color,” said Terry Lawlah, executive director of the Maryland Center at Bowie State University, another coalition member. The center focuses on health care disparities. “We know this focused effort by CEAAT to remove barriers to allergy testing can have a significant impact to reduce health care disparities.”