CMS deadline July 31 for hospitals to report private payer lab data

CMS has issued a reminder that hospitals with outreach laboratories must report private payer rate data for clinical laboratory tests by July 31, 2026. This annual data submission is required under the Protecting Access to Medicare Act (PAMA) to inform future Medicare Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule rates. The reporting period covers payments made from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026. Failure to report can result in significant financial penalties. Confirm with your laboratory billing department that the data collection and submission process is on track to meet the month-end deadline to avoid CMS penalties that reduce future Medicare lab payments.