Inside Brookside

Brookside is now offering a new HIV test.

Brookside will now perform HIV1 and HIV2 differentiating test. These tests will be available Monday thru Friday with same day results.

For Details, Contact:
Susan Simpson
Lab Operations Manager
610-872-6466

Technical Experts Panel

We request that CMS work closely with the clinical laboratory industry in the selection of the members of the Technical Experts Panel ("TEP") and the frequency of TEP meetings. To ensure that the input of all affected parties is received and considered, CMS and the contractor implementing competitive bidding should receive nominations for the TEP - and appoint - from the full spectrum of clinical laboratory industry and professional organizations and their individual members that are impacted by the demonstration project so that all organizations and perspectives are represented on the TEP. Moreover, the TEP should meet at least (or at a minimum) at the following decision points in the demonstration project:

• Prior to the request for clinical laboratory service providers to submit bids to participate in the bid design and avoid unintended problems as a result of an ill-conceived request for bids;
• Prior to the selection of the demonstration area to ensure that the area is representative of the clinical laboratory industry;
• Prior to initiation of the demonstration project to evaluate the quality and access indicators and to ensure that accurate information regarding current clinical laboratory service providers and service characteristics are captured in the demonstration areas so that any impact or effect from the implementation of competitive bidding can be measured;
• At the implementation phase so that all parties can ask questions and understand how the contractor will implement the demonstration project;
• At the mid-point of the demonstration project to reassess the quality and access indicators so that any impact or effect from the implementation of competitive bidding can be identified and corrected to avoid any unintended consequences that could be very devastating to patients, health care providers or clinical laboratory service providers; and,
• At the end of the demonstration project so that the information developed during the demonstration project can be digested and analyzed prior to the preparation of a report to CMS.

Open Door Forums

We request that input from the clinical laboratory industry be solicited vis-à-vis regular Open Door Forums ("ODF"). The ODF could serve as an important interactive and regular communications vehicle for the clinical laboratory industry and individual providers to respond to the billing and reimbursement issues that would impact the industry as a result of competitive bidding. Moreover, it would keep the industry apprised of the implementation of competitive bidding and the information generated as a result of competitively bidding clinical laboratory services. Given the potential impact of competitive bidding on the entire clinical laboratory industry, CMS should hold ODFs at each of the decision-points identified above for the TEPs to facilitate interactive and regular communication with the entire clinical laboratory industry and to receive input.

Comprehensive Demonstration Project

To provide an accurate assessment of competitive bidding, we also urge CMS to establish a comprehensive demonstration project. Entities bidding in the demonstration area(s) should be required to bid on all clinical laboratory tests available on the Medicare test menu and ensure all Medicare beneficiaries in the demonstration area have access to those tests. By doing so, CMS will receive bids that more closely reflect what is necessary to fully deliver clinical laboratory services in a geographical area.

We thank you for your attention to these concerns and look forward to these issues being addressed as part of the competitive bidding demonstration project for clinical laboratory services. Please know that we stand by ready to work with you, your colleagues, the chosen contractor, Members of Congress, and other stakeholders to ensure that the results of thia, demonstration project are as sound and definitive as possible.

Sincerely,

American Association of Bioanalysts
American Association for Clinical Chemistry
American Clinical Laboratory Association
American Medical Technologists
American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science
American Society for Clinical Pathology
American Society for Microbiology
Clinical Laboratory Management Association
College of American Pathologists

*Sectors of the clinical laboratory industry include, but are not limited to : national, publicly traded independent clinical laboratories; regional, multi-state independent community laboratories; community laboratories; large urban hospital laboratories (outpatient and non patient); small and rural hospital clinical laboratories (outpatient and non patient); physician office laboratories (ranging in size from one physician to hundreds and even thousands of physicians); ambulatory surgery center laboratories; community clinic laboratories; end stage renal disease dialysis facilities; home health agency laboratories; hospice laboratories; insurance testing laboratories; pharmacies; intermediate care facilities for the mentally retarded; industrial laboratories; school/student health service laboratories; skilled nursing facilities laboratories; blood banks; tissue banks; rural health clinic laboratories; other health care practitioner offices (e.g., dentists, nurse midwifes, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, etc.); ambulance service laboratories; HMO laboratories; mobile laboratories; and federally qualified heath center laboratories.

Brookside Clinical Lab NOW OFFERS:

INFLUENZA A AND B TESTING

In order to better service you and your residents this flu season, Brookside Clinical Laboratory, Inc. is offering Influenza A and B testing with twenty-four hour turnaround time, Monday through Friday.

Please call our Microbiology Department for nasal transport, swabs and instructions.