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H.R. 1699 · 111th Congress

Patient Access to Critical Lab Tests Act

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IntroducedPassed one chamberPassed both chambersBecame law (gold)Resolution agreed to (full, dark)Failed or vetoed (gray)

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Never voted on. It didn't reach a floor vote before the 111th Congress ended, so it expired. A bill has to be introduced again to be considered in a new Congress.

5 cosponsors · 4 D, 1 R

2 signed on when it was introduced; the rest joined later. Cosponsors who withdrew aren't shown.

Patient Access to Critical Lab Tests Act - Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) where practical, Medicare regulations and policies should be written to promote development of and access to certain highly specialized laboratory tests; and (2) certain Medicare regulations should be revised to permit laboratories furnishing such tests to bill for and be…

What it does: CRS summary · Introduced in House · Mar 25, 2009

Patient Access to Critical Lab Tests Act - Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) where practical, Medicare regulations and policies should be written to promote development of and access to certain highly specialized laboratory tests; and (2) certain Medicare regulations should be revised to permit laboratories furnishing such tests to bill for and be paid directly by Medicare for furnishing them.

Declares that, whenever a laboratory performs a covered complex diagnostic laboratory test, with respect to a specimen collected from an individual during a period in which the individual is a hospital patient, if the test is performed after such period, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall treat such test, for purposes of making direct payment to the laboratory, as if the specimen had been collected by the laboratory directly.

Defines "covered complex diagnostic laboratory test" as: (1) an analysis of DNA, RNA, chromosomes, proteins, or metabolites that detects genotypes, mutations, chromosomal changes, biochemical changes, cell response, or gene expression or is a cancer chemotherapy sensitivity assay, with certain exceptions; (2) a diagnostic X-ray or other diagnostic test; (3) one developed and performed by a laboratory independent of the hospital in which the specimen involved was collected, and not under any arrangements with such hospital; and (4) one not furnished by such hospital, directly or under any arrangements made by it.

Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov

About this bill and sources

Official title: Patient Access to Critical Lab Tests Act

Latest action (Mar 26, 2009): Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

Policy area: Health · Origin: House · Introduced: Mar 25, 2009

Official page on Congress.gov · Bill text (GovInfo) · Status record (XML)

No recorded floor vote found.