OIG Report Details Medicare Payments for Top Lab Tests

Medicare Part B paid $7 billion for lab tests in 2015, the same amount it shelled out in 2014. But 2015 Medicare payments for the top 25 lab tests dipped slightly to $4.1 billion, as compared to $4.2 billion in 2014. These are among the key conclusions of a new report issued by the Office of Inspector General (OIG) as part of its Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014 (PAMA) mandate to monitor Medicare payments for lab tests in advance of the new payment system taking effect on Jan. 1, 2018.

The $7.0 billion paid for lab tests under the Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule (CLFS) accounted for roughly 3% of all Part B payments made in 2015, according to the report. Where did that money go?

What Medicare’s $7 Billion in 2015 Lab Spending Went Toward

Source: OIG “Medicare Payments for Clinical Diagnostic Laboratory Tests in 2015“

For further discussion of the OIG’s report and what the agency has to say about payment trends, fees paid for the top 25 tests and potential impact of PAMA see the Oct. 28, 2016 issue of National Intelligence Report.