In This Issue:



• Discussing the future of lab innovations and how patents could reshape the landscape.
• Introducing ASCP's Leading Laboratories recognition program.
• Highlighting a recent UHC policy change regarding IHC stains.
• Celebrating 2025 client success metrics and wins.
• Reviewing delayed reimbursement cuts to the CLFS.
• Discount for 2026 Executive War College conference.

Upcoming Webinar: Innovation and Investments in Diagnostics -

Discussing Patents & the Future of Laboratory Test Inventions

Should clinical laboratory tests be patentable? It’s a question reshaping the future of diagnostics, and one that directly impacts innovation, investment, competition, and patient access.

Join us at noon EST, Thursday, Feb. 26, as we welcome Jonathan Cohen, President & CEO of 20/20 Biolabs and Founder of the Coalition for Innovative Lab Testing, and Jon Harol, Founder of Lighthouse Lab Services, for a conversation that will explore how recent court decisions and proposed federal legislation could reshape the diagnostic landscape.

From real-world innovation journeys to policy implications for lab owners and stakeholders, this fireside-style session will examine whether patents fuel progress or risk limiting it.

REGISTER HERE

Industry Win: Clinical Lab Fee Schedule Cuts and PAMA Reporting Delayed

Reimbursement cuts to the Clinical Lab Fee Schedule will be delayed a full year after Congress passed an appropriations package that included a freeze earlier this month.

The bill does the following:

• Delays the next round of PAMA cuts of up to 15% through December 31, 2026.
• Revises the data used to set CLFS rates for 2027 by shifting the data collection period to January 1 to June 30, 2025.
• Changes the data reporting period to May 1, 2026, through July 31, 2026.

Industry advocates, including NILA, have welcomed this step as meaningful short-term relief while continuing to push for permanent reform to the process of reporting private payer data through the RESULTS Act.

New Partnership: ASCP Leading Laboratories Recognition Program

We're thrilled to announce Lighthouse is now a Supporting Partner of the Leading Laboratories recognition program.

Through this program, the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) has established a new standard in laboratory quality by recognizing labs that set the highest standards for patient care and improved outcomes.

Lighthouse Lab Services is proud to advocate for the program as an official supporting partner and help bring greater visibility to labs setting the standard for patient care.

Learn more about the program and how to qualify HERE> 

Highlighting 2025 Client Success by the Numbers

Before we turn the page on 2025, we wanted to take a moment to shout out some notable achievements from our Quality, Recruiting, and RCM Consulting teams. It's because of amazing results like these that Lighthouse continues to grow and serve as an industry leader in each of these spaces and beyond.

Quality Team Highlights:

-45 Mock Inspections 

(Average: 4/month)

-25 Zero Deficiency Inspections

(55% of total inspections)

-118 CLIA & OOS Apps Submitted

(Average: 2/week)

-6,229 Signatures Collected (Average: 519/month)

-123 Credentials Reviewed for CLIA Compliance (Average: 10/month)

Recruiting Team Highlights:

-120+ Successful Placements

-Less than 3 Business Days

(Avg presentation for temp candidate request)

-600%+ Growth

(Temp candidate division)

-100% Success Rate

(All Managed Service clients received staffing on request)

-Global Expansion

(Now placing candidates in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East)

RCM Team Highlights:

-90 Audits Completed (Covering 8,500 cases)

-30+ Test Panels Reviewed (Coded and provided payer policy information)

-1,800+ Tests Evaluated (Charge master/test billing dictionary review)

Save on 2026 Executive War College Registration

If you missed your chance to take advantage of early-bird pricing, you can still save $150 on your 2026 Executive War College Registration by using the promo code LLS150 during checkout. Lighthouse will be on hand participating in two speaking sessions this year as part of a week full of great presentations and thought leadership for lab and pathology management.

We hope to see you there! Learn more and register HERE>

The Lighthouse "Candidate Corner" is a recurring monthly spotlight featuring some of the great lab professionals our recruiters work with each day. Check out a quick preview of one individual below, then click over to our blog to see all five candidates for February.

If you'd like to learn more about anyone listed in this section or inquire about their ability to relocate, email us directly here!

Candidate: Molecular Technologist

• Education: 
• Master of Sciences
• Microbiology and Cell Science Master

• Certification:
• MB(ASCP)

• Preferred Location:
• Anywhere on the east coast

View all candidates HERE>

Video: Lab Revenue and Billing Trends to Watch in 2026

AI isn’t just changing how laboratories bill, it’s also changing how payers think. In this quick update from Ann Lambrix, Executive Director of Lighthouse RCM Consulting, we unpack the realities labs will experience in 2026:

➡️ Payers are using AI to flag coding trends

➡️ Overutilization is identified by benchmarking you against your peers

➡️ Payment today does not mean safety from takebacks tomorrow

➡️ Manual claim reviews are increasingly a thing of the past

One of the most misunderstood parts of the process? When you submit a claim, payers do not receive your full supporting documentation upfront. AI often makes decisions based on data patterns and pushes the burden back to labs to justify coding after the fact.

Watch the video HERE>

UHC coverage policies for immunohistochemistry (IHC) stains are shifting, creating direct implications for pathology groups and clinical laboratories. New interpretations and prior authorization requirements for certain IHC stains (e.g., CPT 88341 and 88342) are reshaping how these services are reimbursed.

Read the explainer guide below from the Lighthouse RCM Consulting Team to understand how these changes could impact your pathology practice or lab and how you should respond:

Read the full update HERE>

Clinical Lab 2.0

• March 1-3, 2026
• Pendry Chicago
• Learn more here

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