The Saving Access to Laboratory Services Act (SALSA) is set to be reintroduced with bipartisan support in both the House and Senate this week, according to the National Independent Laboratory Association.
SALSA was initially introduced in June 2022. The legislation would correct flaws related to the implementation of the Protecting Access to Medicare Act (PAMA). If made law, SALSA would require Medicare payment rates for clinical diagnostic laboratory services to be based on a statistical sampling of private sector rates.
The American Clinical Laboratory Association commended the successful blockage of PAMA cuts to Medicare payments and data reporting requirements that would have gone into effect in January 2023. A bipartisan congressional coalition successfully sought the inclusion of these provisions in the 2023 Omnibus Appropriations Bill, which became law on Dec. 29, 2022.
Sources:
https://www.nila-usa.org/NewsBot.asp?MODE=VIEW&ID=843
https://www.acla.com/acla-commends-2023-omnibus-appropriations-bill/
https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/2617
https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/4449
