Rep. Peters Leads Colleagues in Introducing Bill to Protect Seniors’ Access to Laboratory Testing

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Representatives Scott Peters (CA-50), Richard Hudson (NC-09), Gus Bilirakis (FL-12), Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01), and Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08) and U.S. Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Raphael Warnock (D-GA) introduced the Reforming and Enhancing Sustainable Updates to Laboratory Testing Services (RESULTS) Act, bipartisan legislation to protect seniors' access to essential laboratory services. Without reform to the Medicare Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule, deep cuts under that payment system are set to begin in January 2026, which will threaten access to common lab tests for America's seniors.

"It is critically important that seniors have uninterrupted access to innovative diagnostic tests," said Senator Tillis. "The Reforming and Enhancing Sustainable Updates to Laboratory Testing Services Act is a necessary step toward ensuring this access and supporting seniors' health care needs. I'm proud to work with my colleagues to permanently fix flawed data collection and reporting methods which will allow Medicare beneficiaries to continue receiving quality and affordable lab services."

"Access to quality clinical labs is essential to keeping our seniors living long, healthy lives," said Senator Reverend Warnock. "I'm proud to partner with my colleague Senator Tillis to put forward this legislative fix that will help ensure Georgia seniors will continue to have access to high-quality diagnostic services."

"Clinical labs drive innovation in health care and better medicine, from early detection to guiding lifesaving treatments," said Rep. Peters. "The RESULTS Act protects access to these essential medical services and ensures our health system can keep pace with patients' growing Health care needs. I'm proud to support this effort to strengthen care for seniors and families in California and across the nation."

"Clinical labs are the backbone of modern medicine, providing diagnostics and detections to inform decisions and give patients and doctors the answers they need," said Rep. Hudson. "By passing the RESULTS Act, we can stop devastating cuts that would have threatened access to routine and lifesaving tests. This bipartisan bill delivers stability, cuts red tape, and ensures seniors and families can continue to count on timely, accurate results. I'm proud to have led this fight and deliver a commonsense solution that protects patients and strengthens care."

"Strong clinical laboratories are vital to delivering high-quality care, especially for seniors who depend on timely testing to maintain their health," said Rep. Bilirakis. "The RESULTS Act will protect access to these essential services and help ensure that families in Florida-and across the country-can continue to receive the care they need."

"I've long championed early detection as the cornerstone of prevention and quality care. Through my work with PA-1 health advocates and partners, I know how critical clinical labs are to keeping our seniors healthy and strengthening our health system. Without ensuring a sustainable solution, labs will close, care will be delayed, and our seniors will pay the price. The RESULTS Act is a bipartisan, commonsense solution to block these cuts, protect essential services, and ensure seniors across the country have access to timely care," said Rep. Fitzpatrick.

"Seniors across America rely on timely, accurate lab tests to detect disease, guide treatment, and prevent serious health problems. The RESULTS Act ensures those services remain accessible and affordable while fostering innovation in our health system. I'm proud to partner with colleagues from both sides of the aisle on this legislation to safeguard this lifeline for families in Illinois and nationwide," said Rep. Krishnamoorthi.

Without congressional action this year, reimbursement for approximately 800 tests-including routine bloodwork, cancer screenings, and tests to manage heart disease and diabetes-will be cut by up to 15 percent beginning January 1, 2026. This is on top of three previous rounds of cuts of up to 10 percent.

The RESULTS Act would provide a sustainable fix by:

• Ensuring a Medicare Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule (CLFS) rate-setting process that is accurate and representative of commercial market rates for independent, physician-office and hospital outreach laboratories by leveraging an independent not-for-profit commercial claims database for widely available tests while relying on laboratories to report private payor rates for non-widely available tests.
• Reducing the administrative data collection and reporting burden on clinical laboratories and lessening the administrative burden on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) while preventing destabilizing payment cuts and mitigating future reductions.
• Promoting diagnostic innovation by providing stability in Medicare reimbursement for laboratories to develop and deliver cutting-edge tests for cancer, heart disease, diabetes, metabolic disorders, and emerging public health threats.

"Clinical laboratory services from the most routine to those driving personalize medicine, provide crucial information to patients about their underlying health and are indispensable to clinicians in guiding patient care. Clinical laboratory test results hold the key to preventing, diagnosing, and guiding the right personalized treatment at the right time," said American Clinical laboratory Association President Susan Van Meter. "ACLA is grateful to Reps. Hudson, Bilirakis, Peters, Fitzpatrick, and Krishnamoorthi and Senators Tillis and for their leadership in championing The RESULTS Act, a smart policy solution that would fundamentally reform Medicare payment to clinical laboratories, providing stability and predictability, ensuring our seniors get the essential results they deserve."

"The National Independent Laboratory Association (NILA) applauds the bipartisan introduction of the RESULTS Act and urges Congress to quickly pass this vital legislation to strengthen our nation's clinical laboratory infrastructure," said NILA's Executive Director Mark S. Birenbaum, Ph.D. "Our members are facing up to 15 percent cuts to many of the most common laboratory tests; without immediate reform to PAMA this year, regional and community clinical laboratories could be forced to close their doors, leaving patients without access to critical laboratory testing."

The RESULTS Act builds on the foundation established by the Saving Access to Laboratory Services Act (SALSA). While this bipartisan, bicameral legislation was ultimately not enacted in the previous Congress, it did amass more than 70 co-sponsors in the House and Senate and secured support from dozens of national stakeholder groups representing millions of patients and providers.

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