By Kelly A. Briganti, Editorial Director, G2 Intelligence
The HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) has issued its opinion on the top things the government isn't doing that could generate cost savings and improve quality of HHS programs and thus should be an implementation priority. The OIG's March 2015 edition of its Compendium of Unimplemented Recommendationsresponds to the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2014 mandate for the OIG to identify top 25 unimplemented recommendations that it thinks would best protect HHS programs. The Compendium includes the following among its Top 25 items needing priority attention:
- Update the "Audit Tracking and Reporting System" to make sure it "accurately reflect[s] the status of audit report recommendations" and thus ensure collection of Medicare overpayments (recommended in May 2012)
Read more...
By Stephanie Murg, Managing Director, G2 Intelligence
A noninvasive screening method may hold the promise of improved outcomes for patients with kidney cancer, which affects approximately 65,000 people each year in the United States. The key is early diagnosis: If kidney cancer can be detected before it spreads, 80 percent of patients survive. An encouraging study of the new urine-based test, developed by researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, was published online on March 19 in JAMA Oncology.
Read more...
By Christopher P. Young, Editor, G2 Compliance Advisor
The Medicare Evidence Development and Coverage Advisory Committee (MEDCAC) is meeting on March 24 to consider evidence about the prognostic capability of certain molecular pathology tests that may have significant affect on the future coverage of molecular pathology and genetic testing. Recent updates to the CMS website include the meeting agenda, a list of the tests that will be reviewed, a list of voter questions, speakers' presentations and other related material.
Read more...
By Ron Shinkman, Editor, Laboratory Industry Report
Exact Sciences, the Wisconsin-based molecular laboratory, has added an impressive list of names to its roster that are providing some form of coverage or support to its colon cancer assay.
Anthem, one of the largest health insurers in the United States, has agreed to provide coverage for Exact's Cologuard assay to those enrollees who have an indicator for closer-than-typical colon screenings due to potential health issues. Anthem said it would pay for the test for those group of enrollees every three years. According to a coverage statement issued by the company, it considers the use of Cologuard outside of that test group to be investigational in nature and not medically necessary.
Read more...
By Lori Solomon, Editor, Diagnostic Testing & Emerging Technologies
Personal Genome Diagnostics' CancerSelect targeted gene profiling panel has been selected for use in all newly-diagnosed lung cancer patients in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) New England Veteran's Integrated Service Network (VISN 1).
Personal Genome Diagnostics (PGDx; Baltimore, Md.) says the VA contract is for $2 million of testing services over three years. While testing will initially be limited to newly-diagnosed non-small cell lung cancer patients in VISN 1, it is anticipated that the Precision Oncology Program (POP) will be expanded nationally in the VA system, pending regional success.
Read more... |
