Nine in 10 Voters Express Concern That Medicare Lab Payment Cuts Will Harm Patient Access to Diagnostic Lab Testing, Finds National Survey from Quest Diagnostics
Quest highlights survey data showing broad voter concern and bipartisan support for the RESULTS Act to prevent future Medicare lab payment cuts.
Rhea-AI Summary
Quest Diagnostics (DGX) released results of a national survey of 1,024 registered voters showing broad concern that scheduled Medicare lab payment cuts could reduce patient access to diagnostic testing starting January 1, 2027.
The survey found 96% of voters view diagnostic lab tests as important to their or their family's care, 75% call them “very important,” and 83% relied on a lab test in the past two years to guide a medical decision. Under the Protecting Access to Medicare Act (PAMA), data from under 1% of labs helped set Clinical Lab Fee Schedule (CLFS) rates, cutting nearly $4 billion from 2018–2020, with further CLFS cuts of up to 15% annually scheduled for 2027–2029 without new legislation.
Among respondents, 88% would have concerns if Medicare lab rates were set too low, 93% are likely to support candidates who protect access, and around three-quarters across party lines say Congress should act now. Quest and the American Clinical Laboratory Association are urging passage of the bipartisan RESULTS Act, backed by about 130 congressional sponsors and more than 70 medical and patient groups, to stabilize Medicare lab payment rates.
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Key Figures
- Survey sample
- 1,024 registered voters
- National survey
- Tests important
- 96%
- Voters saying diagnostic tests are important to their or their family's care
- Recent test reliance
- 83%
- Voters relying on a laboratory test in the past two years
- Very important
- 75%
- Voters rating diagnostic testing very important to their care
- CLFS cuts
- Up to 15%
- Scheduled Medicare laboratory rate cuts beginning January 1, 2027
- Additional CLFS cuts
- Up to 15%
- Further reductions planned for 2028 and 2029
- Prior CLFS reduction
- Nearly $4 billion
- CLFS reduction between 2018 and 2020
- RESULTS Act sponsors
- Approximately 130 congressional sponsors
- Bipartisan legislation addressing Medicare laboratory rates
Key Terms
pama regulatory
cms regulatory
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
The survey of 1,024 registered voters found that
Quest Diagnostics (NYSE: DGX), one of the nation's leading providers of diagnostic information services, commissioned the survey and is providing a report of the findings: Left Out, Left Behind: Who's Harmed by Medicare Lab Payment Cuts?
Concern intensifies sharply once voters learn how Medicare laboratory payment rates have previously been set. The Protecting Access to Medicare Act (PAMA), which passed into law in 2014, was meant to establish market-based rates for clinical laboratory services paid under the Clinical Lab Fee Schedule (CLFS) through collection of private payor rate data and volumes from independent, hospital outreach, and physician office laboratories. However, when PAMA was implemented, this goal was not achieved, as CLFS rates were set based on data collected from less than one percent of all laboratories, resulting in artificially low payment rates and cutting nearly
Key findings include:
96% of registered voters surveyed say diagnostic lab tests are important to their or their family's care, and83% said they had relied on a laboratory test in the past two years to help a doctor make a decision about their care.88% of registered voters would have concerns if Medicare lab payment rates were set too low.93% are likely to support a congressional candidate who works to protect Medicare patients' access to diagnostic testing.74% say Congress should act now to prevent the cuts, rising to80% once voters learn the cuts could delay access to newer tests for cancer, heart disease and diabetes.50% say Medicare seniors, rural communities, and people managing cancer or other chronic diseases will all be hurt most if cuts under PAMA take effect.
Support for congressional action held firm across party lines with an average of
"For many dangerous health conditions, laboratory insights are the only tool available to identify disease risks in early, preventable stages," said Lee H. Hilborne, MD, MPH, Senior National Medical Director, Quest Diagnostics and Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UCLA. "This survey confirms that ordinary Americans understand the essential role of laboratory insights to quality, effective healthcare and recognize that when access to reliable, innovative testing is at risk, they and their families are the ones who will pay the price."
The RESULTS Act, a bipartisan bill with approximately 130 congressional sponsors, aims to create more stable and representative Medicare rates for lab services. It would achieve this by giving the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) access to comprehensive private payor data and establishing annual guardrails to prevent destabilizing rate cuts. The bill is backed by a broad coalition of over 70 medical and patient advocacy organizations, including American Cancer Society, American Medical Association, American Academy of Family Physicians, American Hospital Association, the Association of American Medical Colleges, and the Alliance for Patient Access. On July 30, 2026, the Congressional Problem Solvers caucus issued a statement calling for passage of RESULTS.
"For older Americans, timely access to diagnostic testing is not optional — it is essential to detecting disease early, managing chronic conditions and making informed decisions about their care. Seniors should not face fewer choices or longer waits because of Medicare's flawed payment system. The bipartisan RESULTS Act offers a commonsense solution, and Congress should prioritize passing it this year," said Mark Gibbons, President and CEO of RetireSafe.
With the American Clinical Laboratory Association (ACLA), Quest Diagnostics is calling on Congress to pass the RESULTS Act before the next round of scheduled cuts take effect January 1, 2027, to ensure Medicare's laboratory payment rates reflect the true cost of the testing patients depend on.
"These findings are consistent with the strong bipartisan support in Congress for protecting access to laboratory services," said Susan Van Meter, president of the American Clinical Laboratory Association. "Laboratory tests are the GPS of healthcare for all patients and physicians -- detecting disease, guiding treatment decisions to ensure the right therapy is provided at the right time, and managing chronic conditions. Congress should pass the bipartisan RESULTS Act before the scheduled cuts take effect to protect patient access to these essential services."
The full report, Left Out, Left Behind: Who's Harmed by Medicare Lab Payment Cuts?, is available here. For more information on contacting Congress about the RESULTS Act, visit www.StopLabCuts.org.
About the Survey
The survey was commissioned by Quest Diagnostics and conducted by Regina Corso Consulting among 1,024 self-identified registered voters nationally, with an oversample of 624 additional respondents across six cities:
About Quest Diagnostics
Quest Diagnostics works across healthcare to create a healthier world, one life at a time. We connect people, from clinicians to consumers, with laboratory insights that illuminate a path to better health. With a focus on delivering smarter, simpler testing, we help reveal new avenues to identify and treat disease, empower healthy behaviors and improve healthcare management. Quest Diagnostics serves half the physicians and hospitals in the United States and one in three American adults each year, and our nearly 60,000 employees work together to deliver diagnostic insights that inspire actions to transform lives. www.QuestDiagnostics.com
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SOURCE Quest Diagnostics
FAQ
AI-generated questions and answers. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
What Medicare lab payment cuts are scheduled under PAMA if Congress does not act?
Without new legislation, essential laboratory tests paid under the Clinical Lab Fee Schedule will face rate reductions of up to 15% beginning January 1, 2027, with additional cuts of up to 15% also planned for 2028 and 2029.
How did previous implementation of PAMA affect Medicare lab payment rates?
When PAMA was implemented, Medicare lab rates were based on private payor data from less than 1% of all laboratories. This produced what Quest describes as artificially low Clinical Lab Fee Schedule rates and cut nearly $4 billion from the schedule between 2018 and 2020.
What changes would the bipartisan RESULTS Act make to Medicare lab rate setting?
The RESULTS Act would give the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services access to more comprehensive private payor data and establish annual guardrails intended to prevent destabilizing rate cuts, with the goal of creating more stable and representative Medicare payment rates for laboratory services.
Which organizations are publicly backing the RESULTS Act?
The bill is supported by over 70 medical and patient advocacy groups, including the American Cancer Society, American Medical Association, American Academy of Family Physicians, American Hospital Association, Association of American Medical Colleges, and the Alliance for Patient Access. The Congressional Problem Solvers Caucus has also issued a statement calling for its passage.
Where can voters find more information or contact Congress about the RESULTS Act?
The full survey report, titled “Left Out, Left Behind: Who's Harmed by Medicare Lab Payment Cuts?”, is available online. For details on how to contact Congress regarding the RESULTS Act, voters are directed to visit www.StopLabCuts.org.