Voters Urge Congress to Halt Impending Medicare Lab Payment Cuts

A national survey of 1,024 registered voters, commissioned by Quest Diagnostics, highlights a deep public reliance on laboratory insights. Roughly 83% of respondents utilized a diagnostic test within the past two years to guide medical decisions, with 75% categorizing these services as vital to their health. Concern intensifies regarding the Protecting Access to Medicare Act (PAMA), a 2014 law that resulted in nearly $4 billion in cuts between 2018 and 2020 due to what critics label as flawed, unrepresentative data collection.

Without legislative intervention, the current schedule mandates further payment reductions of up to 15% starting January 1, 2027, with similar cuts planned for 2028 and 2029. Half of those surveyed identified seniors, rural populations, and patients managing chronic conditions like cancer or diabetes as the most vulnerable to these fiscal changes. In response, 93% of voters indicated they would favor a congressional candidate committed to protecting diagnostic access.

Legislators are currently weighing the RESULTS Act, a bipartisan proposal supported by over 130 sponsors and a coalition of 70 medical organizations. The bill seeks to establish stable, market-based payment rates by granting the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services access to comprehensive private payer data. Advocates, including the American Clinical Laboratory Association and various patient advocacy groups, argue that passing the act is essential to preventing service disruptions and ensuring that laboratory testing—often described as the "GPS of healthcare"—remains accessible to all Americans.