The Senate has taken a major step forward on PAMA—and laboratories should be paying close attention.
Late yesterday, the Senate approved an appropriations bill for Health and Human Services. This spending package includes three significant changes to the Protecting Access to Medicare Act (PAMA).
- Delay PAMA rate cuts through December 31, 2026. Medicare rate cuts were set to become effective on February 1, 2026 and would have reduced rates on nearly 800 laboratory tests by up to 15%.
- Change the data collection period of private payer data from January 1 - June 30, 2019 to January 1 - June 30, 2025. This data is used to set Medicare rates and the date change is very much welcomed to bring rates more current after seven straight years of delays to implementation PAMA rates.
- Change the data reporting period from January 1 - March 31, 2026 to May 1 - July 31, 2026. Laboratories will need to report to CMS on data from the new data collection period starting three months from today.
Although final approval of the PAMA changes is still pending, passage appears highly likely next week. The House is expected to approve the legislation as early as Monday, having already approved the PAMA changes before advancing the bill to the Senate, followed by approval from President Trump, who has publicly endorsed the spending package.
On Wednesday, February 11, at 1:00 PM ET, Quadax will host a webinar focused on the implications of the upcoming PAMA changes and the ongoing need for long‑term reform through the Reforming and Enhancing Sustainable Updates to Laboratory Testing Services (RESULTS) Act. Additional webinar details will be available soon.
