Suzanne Clancy

Two important milestones were recently reached that demonstrate a willingness to put patients at the forefront in the clinical diagnostic process. On June 24, 2008, the US House of Representatives voted to pass HR 6331, The Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008. Of most significance for clinical laboratories, this act repeals a previous proposal for competitive laboratory bidding demonstration. Similar legislation before the Senate has yet to be approved at the time we go to press, and any bill that passes must go before President Bush for signature. Still, removal of the competitive bidding proposal must be viewed as a victory for laboratories, as it demonstrates recognition of the complexity of the laboratory testing process and removes an obstacle to laboratory efficiency in delivering quality care. Prompt and accurate diagnoses are of utmost benefit to patients, a fact also recognized when a San Diego court passed an injunction against a competitive bidding demonstration slated to begin July 1, citing potential “irreparable harm” to Medicare beneficiaries. This ruling was encouraging, and this space will continue to be closely watched by all of us at CLP.

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Ensuring the best possible care for patients and maximizing potential benefit of recent genetic research is also the aim of another bill recently signed into law, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act. This important legislation, signed by the president in May, is crucial to the success of personalized medicine, which proposes to make use of individuals’ genetic makeups in prescribing preventative or therapeutic approaches. This issue of CLP introduces our first industry roundtable, which features five industry experts discussing the topic of personalized medicine. Please turn to page 20 to view the opinions of those working at the forefront of this exciting field to see what they think the product landscape will look like as personalized medicine translates to the clinical laboratory and to learn their views on the challenges yet facing the industry. All of these companies are collaborating with academic partners to demonstrate the benefit to patients of a personalized medicine approach and to work on issues ranging from reimbursement to physician and patient education.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts on these topics, and invite you to visit with us later this month at AACC in Washington, DC (July 29 to 31). Please stop by our booth (#3824) in the exhibit hall. Until then, contact me at , and continue to send news releases to .

Suzanne Clancy