Laboratory Industry Affordable Care Act (ACA)

Laboratory testing has been significantly changed
by the implementation of the Affordable Care Act
(ACA) which has influenced reimbursements, patient
choice, and direct access testing policies. However,
the impact of the ACA on individual laboratory facilities
is unclear. The focus of this research initiative is to identify how this regulatory change has influenced
laboratory facilities. We hypothesize that the ACA has
had a positive impact on the healthcare system by
providing more Americans access to care which increases
patient laboratory testing services while reducing
cost. All U.S. laboratories are required to have
a Medical Director who is usually an MD, DO, or PhD.
This research will directly survey key personnel in order
to shed insight into how the ACA has directly influenced
the industry. The questionnaire has already
been deployed electronically using Qualtrics survey
software. Preliminary findings suggest that the ACA
has indeed influenced laboratory revenues, Medicare,
and Insurance reimbursement.