Friday, June 12, 2026

The Fascinating Context: Florida's Dr. Dunn, HR 8500 (LCDs), HR8890 (CLIA)

›
 [AI Corner, Chat GPT] See also: Blog on HR 8500, LCD Reform, here     Cosponsor: Barragan (D-CA), Tenney (R-NY) See also: Blog on HR 8890, ...

Digital Pathology at CMS: Annual Lab Meeting Postpones It, But CLIA Reform Would Boost It

›
 If you follow digital pathology (whole slide imaging) at CMS, you'll know that Medicare placed around ten WSI tests on the Clinical La...

Congress Releases Full Text of 45-page CLIA Reform Bill

›
In May 2026, Congressman Dunn of Florida issued a press release about a new Enhance CLIA bill ( here ), and there was a policy article from ...

HHS OIG Releases Legal Viewpoint on MCED Supplemental Testing

›
 A favorite question the last five or ten years - if CMS pays you for one test (let's say CRC screening) can the lab provide an addition...

AI Guest Report: Claude Opus Reviews Annual Lab Meeting (June 10, 2026)

›
On June 10, 2026, CMS held its all-day Annual Lab Meeting for public comment on correct pricing of over 100 new lab test codes. Claude Opus ...
Wednesday, June 10, 2026

AI Guest Column 02: Does Medicare Still Use COBOL? A Book Chapter by Claude Opus 4.8

›
A previous blog entry provided a book chapter, written by Chat GPT, on Medicare claims processing software ("Is it really still in COB...

AI Guest Column 01: Does Medicare Still Use COBOL? A Book Chapter by Chat GPT

›
AI CORNER:  Written by Chat GPT. One of a series.  Offered as an example of current AI-managed writing products; not verified. See also: A s...
Tuesday, June 9, 2026

AI Guest Column: Oz and Mulligan on Saving Healthcare Costs

›
 AI CORNER: Chat GPT Two Senior CMS Officials on "Saving Costs" - June 2026 MedCityNews, June 9, 2026 (Katie Adams): CMS Dr. Oz on...

CMMI ACCESS Program: Can Well-Intentioned Goals Conceal Adverse Incentives?

›
Header:  CMMI produces a JAMA Op Ed on its "ACCESS" technology and chronic care program.  I used an AI-generated essay to explain...

AI Attempts to Classify 100 New PLA Codes (Gets Migraine)

›
I asked Claude Opus and Chat GPT to make a classification system for the 102 PLA codes being considered for this summer's Annual Lab Mee...
Monday, June 8, 2026

News Summary: WaPo: HHS Wants to Bring Physicians and AI Together

›
  On June 4, 2026, Washington Post has a lead aritlce, "Push to bring AI doctors into American medicine," by Elizabeth Dwoskin. __...
Sunday, June 7, 2026

AMA's New Digital Pathology Codes in "Category III": What If They're Not on the CLFS?

›
Key Lesson: In 2026, AMA CPT began assigning whole-slide-imaging digital pathology codes to Category III, rather than the PLA pathway used f...
Saturday, June 6, 2026

How You Get CMS to Liberalize a Burdensome Rule (Case Study: Physical Therapy Orders)

›
Why You May Care...  Many stakeholders approach CMS each year with a request to liberalize one or another rule - be it an administrative pol...
Wednesday, June 3, 2026

CMS Releases Data for "87798" Billing in 2024

›
On May 21, 2026, CMS released data by lab and by CPT code (also by physician and CPT code) for Part B payments in CY2024. There's been a...
Tuesday, June 2, 2026

Predicting the Scientific Future: From UCSF's Robert Wachter

›
Robert Wachter of UCSF is both a medical leader and a futurist. In his newest book, A GIANT LEAP, he discusses AI in medical care.  From his...