March 2025 Edition
Lighthouse Lab Services
Helping with Lab Management, Recruiting, Consulting, and Lab Director Services for the clinical laboratory industry.
Upcoming Webinar: Are Independent Labs Facing Extinction?
Amidst a flurry of recent activity in Washington, D.C., it’s become clear that independent laboratories will face a sea of change in the years to come. With potential overhauls to Medicaid being explored alongside ongoing debates such as revamping LDT oversight, now is the time to ensure your laboratory is prepared for the changes to come and what they could mean for your bottom line.
Join us Wednesday, April 2, 2025, for an essential webinar where policy experts and independent lab advocates with the Coalition for Innovative Lab Testing will break down the latest developments from Washington and analyze how these market disruptions could directly impact your laboratory's operations and bottom line. Whether you're a laboratory director, manager, or policy advocate, this session will provide the insights you need to stay ahead of these crucial developments.?
LATEST NEWS
Add Measles Testing to Your Lab's Menu
As medical labs in Texas and New Mexico ramp up to assist in the fight against the ongoing measles outbreak, we want to let you know Lighthouse Lab Services is available to implement a testing solution. With more than 200 confirmed cases and two fatalities, we are working to fulfill our mission to make quality lab testing more accessible and combat the spread.?
Is your laboratory looking for a reliable solution to help stem the outbreak? Reach out to us today. We will ensure you are equipped to meet your community’s testing needs.
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Novitas and First Coast MACs Announce New Genetic Testing LCDs
There are two recent updates by Novitas and First Coast Service Options MACs regarding genetic testing coverage for oncology. The finalized LCDs L39365 and L39367, effective April 24, 2025, include several key changes:
Thanks to our RCM Team for providing this key update. If you need more information or further clarification, don't hesitate to reach out to us.
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Examining The Market for Temp & Travel Laboratory Candidates
During the pandemic, the practice of labs and hospitals utilizing temporary and traveling medical lab professionals to fill openings or meet surges in testing demand was common. However, there has been a definitive shift in the prevalence of these openings in recent years, says Laura King, Senior Recruiting Executive for Lighthouse Lab Services.
For more on this trend and what it means for both labs and candidates, check out our latest short video.
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Pathology and Lab Medicare Payment Fix Excluded from New Budget Package
The budget package signed by President Trump last weekend to fund the government through September failed to address Medicare payment rate cuts to pathologists and other physicians that took effect on January 1 of this year.?
In particular, the legislation excluded provisions to address a 2.83% overall cut to Medicare physician reimbursement. A 2.5% temporary Medicare physician fee increase took effect in January short-term solution but was absent from this bill.
According to analysis from CAP, payment rates for pathologists have declined by 7% in total over the past six years.
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Can Hospital Labs Become Profit Centers?
It's clear that the cost of operating a medical laboratory has increased on average in recent decades as personnel shortages, equipment costs, and other administrative factors have driven expenses up. With that in mind, some hospital administrators may view the laboratory as a cost center or necessary expense. But, what if the lab was instead viewed as a profit center and valuable asset?
In this short video, leadership from Lighthouse Lab Services, the Compass Group, and Clinical Lab 2.0 debate the current perception of the lab as a cost center and what data and advocacy will be necessary to change those optics. Dr. Gregory Sossaman and Dr. James Crawford, two nationally recognized pathologists and laboratory advocates, talk with Jon Harol, president of Lighthouse Lab Services.
CANDIDATE SPOTLIGHT
The Lighthouse "Candidate Corner" is a recurring monthly spotlight featuring some of the great lab professionals our recruiters work with each day. Check out a quick preview of one individual below, then click over to our blog to see all six candidates for March.
If you'd like to learn more about anyone listed in this section, or inquire about their ability to relocate, email us directly?here!
Medical Technologist
RCM NEWS AND TIPS
The Cost of Cybersecurity Failures in Healthcare: Lessons from the Ascension Breach
The healthcare industry continues to face an increasing number of cybersecurity threats, and the fallout from these breaches can extend far beyond immediate downtime. The Ascension cyberattack in May 2024 serves as a stark reminder of just how vulnerable healthcare systems are and the ripple effects that impact everything from patient care to revenue cycles.
One of our clients at Lighthouse Lab Services has faced considerable billing and reimbursement challenges stemming from the outage. And even though transitioning to a new billing vendor during the 3rd quarter of 2024 was the right move for the client for various reasons, it added complexity to the effort of addressing these issues.
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Case Study: Lab Contract Rate Increased by 31% Following Payer Negotiations
A leading laboratory client was initially offered a reimbursement rate of 100% Medicare for their commercial policies. Given that commercial payors typically reimburse significantly higher than Medicare rates, accepting this offer would have left substantial revenue on the table.
Recognizing an opportunity to optimize revenue, our client managers stepped in to leverage our knowledge of standard reimbursement benchmarks and strategic payer contract negotiation.
New Strategic Partnership: Quadax
We are excited to announce our new partnership with Quadax, Inc., a leading provider of laboratory- and pathology-specific revenue cycle management (RCM) solutions. Offering both an in-house billing platform and fully outsourced billing service model, Quadax tailors their solution to fit your organization’s unique needs, providing maximum billing efficiency and collection capabilities.
Through this partnership, Lighthouse clients will gain access to Quadax’s industry-leading RCM solutions, designed to optimize every step of the revenue cycle from prebilling and claims management to accounts receivable and payer reimbursement. With more than 50 years of healthcare billing experience, including over 30 years specializing in laboratories, Quadax brings a proven track record of delivering exceptional financial outcomes through advanced technology, expert guidance, and personalized support.
What This Partnership Means for Lighthouse Clients:
?? Enhanced Reimbursement Strategies: Quadax’s longevity of experience and sophisticated billing technology will help our clients accelerate payments, reduce bad debt, and secure maximum reimbursement for services.
?? Comprehensive Revenue Cycle Oversight: With unparalleled Service to maximize results Quadax provides full-spectrum revenue cycle management from prebilling to final payment, ensuring accurate accounting, operational transparency, and improved financial performance.
?? Improved Operational Efficiency: Customers will benefit from Quadax’s disciplined processes, proven best practices, and advanced RCM platform which offers proactive automation as well as greater control over appeals and audits while mitigating compliance risks.
?? Personalized Support & Expert Guidance: With 37% of Quadax employees holding over a decade of relevant billing experience, customers will have access to a tenured team of dedicated Account Executives who provide personalized training, defined milestones, and continuous process improvement strategies to positively impact revenue.
By combining Lighthouse Lab Services’ deep industry expertise with Quadax’s best-in-class revenue cycle management solutions, we are empowering our clients to focus on delivering exceptional patient care and quality laboratory services.
If you’re ready to elevate your laboratory’s financial management capabilities, contact us today to learn how this partnership can benefit your organization.
UPCOMING CONFERENCES & TRADESHOWS
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1 天前Another strong edition! ??