- Home
- Advocacy
- Latest News and Practice Data
- Senate adopts 30-day delay of 2026 Medicare lab cuts
Laboratories will get a brief reprieve from Medicare cuts if Congress enacts a Senate deal that came together over the weekend to end the government shutdown.
The impact: On January 1, more than 800 tests on the Medicare clinical laboratory fee schedule (CLFS) will decrease by up to 15% unless Congress acts.
- The 30-day delay would give Congress and stakeholders more time to work on long-term payment reform.
Background: On November 9, a group of eight Democrats joined Senate Republicans to support a legislative package that ends the current shutdown and keeps the government open through January 30.
- As part of that deal, Senators agreed to delay the Medicare cuts to the clinical laboratory fee schedule. These cuts have been delayed every year since the COVID-19 pandemic, via year-long, short-term patches.
- On November 10, the Senate voted 60-40 to pass the bill.
- The deal would need to pass the House before going to President Donald Trump to be signed into law.
Yes, but: While we are grateful for a short delay, we also need Congress to pass reforms that prevent these misguided reductions from threatening patient care and laboratory medicine in the future.
- With foundational reform in place, Congress would no longer need to pass temporary delays year after year.
Take action: Encourage lawmakers to back the RESULTS Act to permanently fix these Medicare cuts.