Revising Phase-In of Medicare Clinical Laboratory Test Payment Changes
Section 6209 · Sec. 6209 ·
What this chapter is about
Medicare is changing how it pays for lab tests. The change comes in steps. This part moves the steps, and moves the dates when labs must report what private payers pay them.
The document says “is amended”Who acts: CongressHow: statuteSec. 6209 in the PDF
What the document says
“in clause (ii), by inserting "and for the period beginning on January 1, 2026, and ending on January 30, 2026" after "2025"”
The section amends section 1834A(b)(3)(B) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395m-1(b)(3)(B)). The first month of 2026 is added to the earlier step, and the later step is rewritten to run from January 31, 2026 to the end of that calendar year and then through 2027 and 2028.
What the document actually says
“in clause (ii), by inserting "and for the period beginning on January 1, 2026, and ending on January 30, 2026" after "2025"”
That sentence, in plain words
Words naming the first month of 2026 are added after the year 2025.
What this is about
The change to lab pay comes in steps, year by year. This law covers only part of a year. So the step is cut at the end of January.
No action is recorded against this proposal. That is not evidence that none has been taken, and nobody has yet read it against the record. See what the tracker does not yet cover.
The document says “is amended”Who acts: CongressHow: statuteSec. 6209 in the PDF
What the document says
“in clause (i), by striking "December 31, 2025" and inserting "January 31, 2026"; and (2) in clause (ii), by striking "January 1, 2026, and ending March 31, 2026" and inserting "February 1, 2026, and ending April 30, 2026"”
The section amends section 1834A(a)(1)(B) of the Social Security Act, moving both ends of the window in which labs report the rates private payers pay them.
What the document actually says
“in clause (i), by striking "December 31, 2025" and inserting "January 31, 2026"; and (2) in clause (ii), by striking "January 1, 2026, and ending March 31, 2026" and inserting "February 1, 2026, and ending April 30, 2026"”
That sentence, in plain words
One deadline moves by a month. So does the start and end of the window that follows it.
What this is about
Labs must tell Medicare what other payers pay them. That happens in a set window. The whole window slides a month later.
No action is recorded against this proposal. That is not evidence that none has been taken, and nobody has yet read it against the record. See what the tracker does not yet cover.
Both subsections: the revised phase-in periods and the revised reporting window.
Nothing else. The section makes four edits across two paragraphs.
The section works by amending the Social Security Act. That law is not indexed here, so this file does not say how large the payment changes are or what labs must report.
