With a deadline approaching on January 31, 2026, ARUP Laboratories has joined other clinical laboratories in advocating for passage of the federalĀ Reforming and Enhancing Sustainable Updates to Laboratory Testing Services (RESULTS) Act, which would block looming cuts in payments for lab testing services, relieve labs of burdensome reporting, and make future rate cuts more predictable. The bipartisan legislation would also protectĀ patientsā access to essential lab tests by providing meaningful reform to the Protecting Access to Medicare Act (PAMA).
A short-term delay to payment cuts and data reporting requirements was included in the federal government funding package, which was signedĀ into law on November 12, 2025. Without further action, payment cuts of up to 15% for more than 800 commonly ordered lab tests that were enacted in PAMA could take effect on January 31, 2026, unless Congress delays such cuts through a separate funding bill or another continuing resolution.
The RESULTS Act is designed to fix what ARUP and other clinical labs believe are foundational flaws in PAMA, which was enacted in 2014 to modernize how Medicare pays for lab tests but has yet to be fully implemented. Short-term delays in Congress have prevented devastingĀ reimbursement cuts, but the stopgaps have only offered temporary relief.
āThe clinical laboratory fee-setting process outlined in PAMA is fundamentally broken, and the lack of guarantees around annual deferrals of cutsĀ create uncertainty in the laboratory community,ā said Jonathan Genzen, MD, PhD, MBA, ARUP chief medical officer and senior director of governmental affairs. āThe RESULTS Act is the outcome of extensive discussion and thought to clarify appropriate and accurate rate setting,Ā support innovation, and put patient care at the forefront.ā
Key provisions of the RESULTS Act include:
ā¢ Ensuring Medicare rates are based on comprehensive, representative market data
ā¢ Reducing administrative burden and extending reporting cycles for labs
ā¢ Limiting future annual payment cuts to 5%
ā¢ Protecting patientsā access to routine and advanced diagnostic testing services
Support for the RESULTS Act gained momentum during the recent government shutdown. More than 35 Congressional leaders have signed on asĀ cosponsors, including Rep. Mike Kennedy, R-Utah, and Rep. Blake Moore, R-Utah. Additionally, 30 leading laboratory, physician, hospital, andĀ diagnostic manufacturer organizations, including the American Clinical Laboratory Association, of which ARUP is a member and ARUP CEO AndyĀ Theurer is a board of directors member, sent a letter to Congressional leadership urging swift passage of the RESULTS Act.
āARUP is advocating collaboratively with many professional organizations for the RESULTS Act because we want a stable system that can supportĀ innovation in the lab industry,ā Genzen said.
He explained that the RESULTS Act also includes provisions for reimbursement for tests that have just emerged on the market and are performed at lower volumes.
āUltimately, the RESULTS Act is good for patients and the clinical laboratory community.ā
About ARUP Laboratories
Founded in 1984, ARUP Laboratories is a leading national reference laboratory and a nonprofit enterprise of the University of Utah Spencer FoxĀ Eccles School of Medicine and its Department of Pathology. ARUP offers more than 3,000 tests and test combinations, ranging from routineĀ screening tests to esoteric molecular and genetic assays. In addition, ARUP is a worldwide leader in innovative laboratory research and development, led by the efforts of the ARUP Institute for Research and Innovation in Diagnostic and Precision Medicineā¢. ARUP is ISO 15189 and CAP accredited.
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