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    Protecting Access to Medicare Act

    Law that revised Medicare pricing for clinical lab services.

    Reviewed by Christian Espinosa, Founder, Blue Goat CyberLast reviewed May 5, 2026

    Definition

    PAMA (2014) requires CMS to set Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule rates based on weighted-median private payer rates reported by clinical labs. Repeated reporting and rate cuts have pressured the IVD industry.

    What this means in practice

    Combined with FDA LDT oversight, PAMA reshapes molecular diagnostics economics.

    Primary references

    3 sources
    Link health: 1 bot-blocked 2 needs review· last checked 2026-05-09
    CMS·2AMA·1
    1. 1
      CMS CLFS
      Needs review
      CMScms.gov
    2. 2
      CMS - Coding
      Needs review
      CMScms.gov
    3. 3
      AMA CPT Resources
      Bot-blocked
      AMAama-assn.org

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