U.S. Healthcare IT: Expert Call: PAMA Cuts More Likely To Return, But Pain Won't Be Evenly Shared

We recently hosted Jondavid Klipp (President, Laboratory Economics) for a call following the recent release of the preliminary CY27 Clinical Lab Fee Schedule. Our conversation also touched on potential cuts to pathology and MolDX expansion. Key takeaways: the expert views 2027 PAMA reinstatement as highly likely, since CBO now assumes commercial lab rates are flat to declining so a delay would cost the government money, and CMS language appears committed to the timeline (survey done, preliminary rates out, 30-day comment period). Final rates are expected mid-November, after which PAMA bars changes;