I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3584 
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for certain 
amendments relating to reporting requirements with respect to clinical 
diagnostic laboratory tests, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 27, 2019 
Mr. PETERS (for himself, Mr. PASCRELL, Mr. HUDSON, Mr. HOLDING, and 
Mr. SCHRADER) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee 
on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within 
the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide 
for certain amendments relating to reporting require-
ments with respect to clinical diagnostic laboratory tests, 
and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Laboratory Access for 
Beneficiaries Act’’ or the ‘‘LAB Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. AMENDMENTS RELATING TO REPORTING REQUIRE-
MENTS WITH RESPECT TO CLINICAL DIAG-
NOSTIC LABORATORY TESTS. 
(a) REVISED REPORTING PERIOD FOR REPORTING 
OF PRIVATE SECTOR PAYMENT RATES FOR ESTABLISH-
MENT
OF
MEDICARE
PAYMENT
RATES.—Section 
1834A(a) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395m– 
1(a)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘Beginning January 1, 
2016’’ and inserting the following: 
‘‘(A) 
GENERAL
REPORTING
REQUIRE-
MENTS.—Subject to subparagraph (B), begin-
ning January 1, 2016’’; and 
(B) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(B) REVISED
REPORTING
PERIOD.—In 
the case of reporting with respect to clinical di-
agnostic laboratory tests that are not advanced 
diagnostic laboratory tests, the Secretary shall 
revise the reporting period under subparagraph 
(A) such that— 
‘‘(i) no reporting is required during 
the period beginning January 1, 2020, and 
ending January 1, 2021; 
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‘‘(ii) reporting is required during the 
period beginning January 1, 2021, and 
ending March 31, 2021; and 
‘‘(iii) reporting is required every three 
years after the period described in clause 
(ii).’’; and 
(2) in paragraph (4)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘In this section’’ and in-
serting the following: 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—Subject to subpara-
graph (B), in this section’’; and 
(B) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(B) EXCEPTION.—In the case of report-
ing during the period described in paragraph 
(1)(B)(ii) with respect to clinical diagnostic lab-
oratory tests that are not advanced diagnostic 
laboratory tests, the term ‘data collection pe-
riod’ means the period beginning January 1, 
2019, and ending June 30, 2019.’’. 
(b) CORRECTIONS RELATING TO PHASE-IN OF RE-
DUCTIONS FROM PRIVATE PAYOR RATE IMPLEMENTA-
TION.—Section 1834A(b)(3) of the Social Security Act 
(42 U.S.C. 1395m–1(b)(3)) is amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘through 
2022’’ and inserting ‘‘through 2023’’; and 
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(2) in subparagraph (B)— 
(A) in clause (i), by striking ‘‘through 
2019’’ and inserting ‘‘through 2020’’; and 
(B) in clause (ii), by striking ‘‘2020 
through 2022’’ and inserting ‘‘2021 through 
2023’’. 
SEC. 3. STUDY AND REPORT BY NATIONAL ACADEMY OF 
MEDICINE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of 
the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (referred to 
in this section as the ‘‘Administrator’’) shall enter into an 
agreement with the National Academies of Sciences, Engi-
neering, and Medicine (referred to in this section as the 
‘‘National Academies’’) to conduct a study to review the 
methodology the Administrator has implemented for the 
private payor rate-based clinical laboratory fee schedule 
under the Medicare program under title XVIII of the So-
cial Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395 et seq.). 
(b) SCOPE OF STUDY.—In carrying out the study de-
scribed in subsection (a), the National Academies shall 
consider the following: 
(1) How best to implement the least burden-
some data collection process required under section 
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1834A(a)(1) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395m–1(a)(1)) 
that would— 
(A) result in a representative and statis-
tically valid data sample of private market rates 
from all laboratory market segments, including 
hospital outreach laboratories, physician office 
laboratories, and independent laboratories; and 
(B) consider the variability of market seg-
ments by laboratory procedure code. 
(2) Appropriate statistical methods for esti-
mating rates that are representative of the market. 
(c) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than the date 
that is 18 months after the Administrator enters into the 
agreement described in subsection (a) with the National 
Academies, the National Academies shall submit to the 
Administrator, the Committee on Finance of the Senate, 
and the Committees on Ways and Means and Energy and 
Commerce of the House of Representatives a report that 
includes— 
(1) conclusions about the methodology de-
scribed in such subsection; and 
(2) recommendations on ways to improve such 
methodology. 
Æ 
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