SB 339: Medi-Cal: laboratory rates.

This bill aims to modify Medi-Cal reimbursement rates for laboratory services. It would require reimbursement to be set at the lowest of the following: the amount billed, the charge to the general public, 100% of the federal Medicare program's lowest maximum allowance, or the average of other payers and state Medicaid programs. The bill would carve out a provision for laboratory services related to the diagnosis and treatment of sexually transmitted infections, allowing for reimbursement to be set at a lower threshold, excluding the federal Medicare program's lowest maximum allowance. Additionally, the bill would exempt data on these services from certain reporting requirements and make deidentified raw data available to the public, except for laboratories that report fewer than 10 tests. The bill would also delete a 10% payment reduction for laboratory services.