Lighthouse Lab Services

🥇 We're launching Lighthouse's first-ever "Best of the Lab" awards! Over the next several weeks, we will be running polls to determine the best service providers in the medical laboratory industry! We are asking for the community's help in recognizing the best of the best, so feel free to select an option below or add your own choice in the comments. (Please keep in mind LinkedIn limits polls to four options — don't hesitate to add your choice if it's not listed) Winners will be announced later this fall! 🎉 🍁

If your lab is selected for a Medicare TPE Audit, it doesn't mean it's time to panic! 😨 Instead, there are practical steps you should take when you first receive notice of a pending audit, says our Director of RCM Operations Dyana Williams. While avoiding audits altogether is ultimately preferable, there are also proactive steps you can take to prepare given that these reviews often come down to questions surrounding medical necessity. 👀 "Labs play a crucial role in ensuring that the services they provide are medically necessary, even in cases in which the ordering provider is not affiliated with the lab," says Williams. "As a result, clinical labs often need to take an innovative approach to provide sufficient evidence of medical necessity." So, how can laboratories protect their revenue while at the same time reducing their likelihood of being selected for an audit? Here are three quick tips: 1. Conduct Regular Reviews: Identify the most common denial reasons. Analyze denials to understand trends. Pinpoint the most problematic CPT codes and pull utilization reports to assess volumes. Conduct internal audits of test orders and corresponding documentation to ensure that medical necessity requirements are consistently met. 2. Requisition Form Enhancements: Design requisition forms that prompt ordering providers to include detailed clinical information. This could include fields for patient symptoms, diagnosis, and the rationale for the test. Make certain fields mandatory on the requisition forms to ensure that essential information is provided before the test is performed. 3. Pre-Submission Edits: Ask your biller to implement edits to flag cases that may have diagnosis codes which fall short of describing medical necessity based on published guidance (LCDs, payer policies, etc.) Check the comments below for our full blog with more tips and details on the TPE audit process! #Medicare #audit #medicalbilling #clinicallaboratory #CMS

The July edition of the Lab Insighter is now available! This month, we're diving in on: 👨🔬 Our upcoming webinar exploring results of our 2024 wage and morale survey of lab professionals 📄 Proposed 2025 Medicare Fee Schedule changes and rate reductions 🔬 A deep dive on when it makes sense to consider refurbished lab equipment ➕ And more! View a copy below and be sure to subscribe to receive a new edition each month! #medicallaboratory #revenuecyclemanagement #recruiting #healthcaremorale

Looking to improve your lab's costs and efficiency as we enter the back half of 2024? Here are three smart strategies that will make an immediate impact: 👩🔬 Hire Permanent Staff: Skip the high costs of temporary hires and invest in long-term team members. Our expert recruiters at Lighthouse can find you the perfect fit for your lab's needs and help you save on staffing over time. 🤝 Try a Part-Time Lab Director: Save big on salaries by utilizing a part-time lab director. Our experienced Lab Directors can guide your lab to success for a fraction of the cost of a full-time director without breaking the bank. 🚀 Boost Reimbursements with Billing Audits: Maximize your earnings by identifying and fixing billing inefficiencies and errors. Our Revenue Cycle Management audits optimize your processes by reducing denials and improving your overall billing compliance. Ready to see how much your lab can save? Contact us for a free meeting to learn how we can help implement these strategies and more! #medicallaboratory #laboratoryprofessionals #savings #qualitymanagement

If you missed the release of the Proposed 2025 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule this week, the conversion factor is $32.35 - a 2.8% decrease from the 2024 conversation factor used to determine fee schedule prices. In total, payments to pathology services will drop by 2.4%, largely due to ongoing budget neutrality requirements requiring payment cuts that have been delayed by Congressional action in recent years. For example, two common codes, 88305 and G0416 will experience reductions of 3% and 2%, respectively. As College of American Pathologists (CAP) notes in its analysis: "Rather than eliminate, revise, or replace the budget neutrality requirements in Medicare, Congress has instead responded with band-aid short-term relief packages. These packages do not eliminate cuts; they only delay the impact. For 2025, two congressional relief packages will expire resulting in a -2.9% decrease to the conversion factor. This cut continues the downward trend in pathology payments, which have seen an overall decrease of 7.0% since 2021." Check out the full impact table for individual rate changes to key pathology and lab services below: #pathology #medicare #MPFS #independentlaboratory

It's no secret staffing and wage stagnation have had a substantial impact on the morale of lab professionals in recent years, especially when paired with longstanding pipeline and training limitations facing the profession. However, wages and overall morale have improved in comparison to the past two years, according to the more than 1,000 lab professionals who responded to our 2024 survey. 💪 Join us at noon EDT, July 31, as our recruiting experts unpack the results of this year's survey, including wage averages by position, the prevalence of understaffing, gender wage gaps, and much more. We'll also share tips for improving retention and hiring within your lab, and offer some guidance to candidates looking to land their dream job. 💡 Check out the event details below and be sure to sign up in order to receive a recording if you're unable to attend live! ✔ #medicallaboratory #labprofessionals #labtech #MLT #labdirector #wagestudy #clinicallaboratory

With all of the ongoing developments surrounding the oversight of laboratory tests and other regulatory changes, it can be difficult for labs to stay on top of their quality and compliance. ✔ But following recent CLIA updates, quality officers and other lab managers must review a number of items to ensure they stay on top of their game. With this in mind, Lighthouse's Anna Dawsey Hill, PhD, NRCC-TC, recently sat down with G2 Intelligence to discuss new quality, proficiency, and CLIA updates and what labs need to be aware of in order to maintain their compliance. Check out the full article below ⬇ #laboratorymedicine #compliance #CLIA #quality

While it's a time of transition for the clinical lab space, that doesn't mean there are not ample opportunities available for labs willing to take control of their patient relationships. 👀 By providing patients more visibility into the vital role medical lab professionals play in the diagnostic and decision-making process, labs can improve their seat at the healthcare table and gain more resources in turn. 💡 Thanks again to LabVine for hosting this great event and inviting us to share our insights! #lmss2024 #labortatorymedicine #clinicallaboratory

Last week, the CDC issued an advisory warning of an increased risk of #dengue virus (DENV) infections in the US this year. Globally, cases of dengue have been the highest on record for this calendar year and many countries are reporting elevated dengue case numbers. The CDC says the agency is actively implementing several strategies to address the increase in cases of dengue, including expanding laboratory capacity to improve laboratory testing approaches. Follow the links in the comments below to read up on clinical testing guidance for dengue and instructions for submitting specimens for dengue virus tests. #laboratorytesting #CDC #virus

When a lab is considering making the leap from CLIA-Waived to Moderate Complexity testing, we're often asked what key factors should inform that decision. While there are several considerations to weigh depending on the size and scope of your business, here are three that can help initially determine whether transitioning to moderate complexity testing makes sense: 🤝 Volume and Demand - Labs must assess whether their patient volume justifies the investment in moderate complexity testing. Higher volumes will help to provide consistent testing opportunities and make the transition financially viable. ✅ Staff Training and Competency - Do you currently have staff on hand who are qualified to perform the testing you want to add? Will you need to train or add new staff? 🏨 Infrastructure and Financial Planning - In addition to ensuring you have space for your lab, you should conduct a cost-benefit analysis to understand the financial implications, including initial setup costs and ongoing operational expenses versus the potential for increased revenue. Looking to learn more? Check out our full blog for a deep dive on transitioning to moderate complexity testing below! #CLIA #laboratorytesting #clinicallaboratory