[Histonet] Devasting news on 88305TC component

[O'Donnell, Bill]

I am not in a POL, nor private lab. 88305 is our bread and butter. Being part of a large national organization, some of their labs will weather it out, however, I am in a town of 33,000 people and the only local laboratory.. We are already in competition with clinicians who choose to send them to a "cheaper" outsource. A number of scenarios come to mind:

"Cheap" labs will no longer be any cheaper - we get the business back (most everyone in town as an alimentary canal and skin exposed to too much Sun) and I keep my job" :) (Most everyone will retain their alimentary canals and skin so histology remains sustainable)

"Cheap" labs continue to bill less, increasing their volume by draining ours away and I lose my job. :(

"Corporate" starts housing regional laboratories, shutting down the smaller ones (like us) and I lose my job or I uproot my family and move to the regional. :!

"Corporate" could continue to subsidize the smaller labs, draining resources from other hospitals or services. However, 88305 is only one of many, many, many cuts across the health care industry. There may be no monies to redirect and a lot of people lose their jobs across the system in all disciplines. :(  :(

"We" offer something the cheap labs cannot and we weather the storm and hope for the best.

As to some of the comments made over the last few days about politics and politicians: I know who I support, but this issue is not even a factor. Healthcare reform is happening and will happen. Maybe in a different form, maybe not - but it is coming and in many ways, it is here. 

Example: Two years ago, the insurance company that covered my company health plan just abandoned their health care coverage. They cannot make a profit on it. We got another insurance company, and the coverage was less impressive, but the good news is I got to pay more for it! Another increase in premiums the next year and more slated for the upcoming enrollment. Its just the way it's going to be. Private option, public option, business option, but there is really no option.

What am I doing? I've kept a bathtub full of water since Y2K and learned to cure a ham, bake bread and make cheese, beer and wine. I also have two boxes of band-aids, two botttles of hydrogen peroxide and a clean toothbrush. Got a NetFlix subscription. Got a bible for guidence and a copy of Atlas Shrugged as a warning indicator. Kids are all married off and the wife doesn't eat much. Let the apocalypse come!

Have a greaty day! - Bill






-----Original Message-----
From: histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu [mailto:histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Kim Donadio
Sent: Monday, November 05, 2012 10:33 AM
To: Bernice Frederick; Webster, Thomas S.; 'histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu'
Subject: Re: [Histonet] Devasting news on 88305TC component

88305 is the most common code anywhere, hospitals POL. 




________________________________
From: Bernice Frederick <b-frederick <@t> northwestern.edu>
To: "Webster, Thomas S." <twebster <@t> CRH.org>; "'histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu'" <histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu>
Sent: Monday, November 5, 2012 11:22 AM
Subject: RE: [Histonet] Devasting news on 88305TC component

Bear in mind it only 88305. 't's not the only CPT code we use for billing. Just all those biopsies......Yes, that will mess up those independent labs that just do biopsies.
Bernice

Bernice Frederick HTL (ASCP)
Senior Research Tech
Pathology Core Facility
ECOGPCO-RL
Robert. H. Lurie Cancer Center
Northwestern University
710 N Fairbanks Court
Olson 8-421
Chicago,IL 60611
312-503-3723
b-frederick <@t> northwestern.edu

-----Original Message-----
From: histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu [mailto:histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Webster, Thomas S.
Sent: Monday, November 05, 2012 10:11 AM
To: 'histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu'
Subject: [Histonet] Devasting news on 88305TC component

It is terrible for anyone that works in an AP lab. There will be job loss from this and some labs will close their doors. There is a lot of blame for this to go around. I blame "client billing" the most. The government is tired of being the "pull through" business for labs that are doing the TC so low. Why should the government pay so much when some labs are doing the TC for peanuts in these client billing schemes? I am sure that played a huge role in why they made such a drastic cut.


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