They are one of the topics of the day, the Lea (the Essential Levels of Assistance). Today, in fact, the new text of the tariff decree, necessary to make the application of the updated LEAs effective in 2017, is sent to the State-Regions Conference for approval. Which is not taken for granted. The Italian Society of Clinical Biochemistry – Laboratory Medicine (SIBioC) has also raised criticisms of the new nomenclator, denouncing “incomprehensible and unsustainable cuts of up to 3 million euros, and rates of laboratory activities reduced by half”.
The proposal: we check the real costs of laboratory services
While the 2017 LEAs seemed to introduce new and effective diagnostic tests, with a scheduled update and adequate economic rates – reads a press release from the scientific society – now the risk of a reduction in the resources of laboratory activities is revealed. For this Sibioc has sent an open letter to the health institutions. “Despite having no business interests – explains the President Tommaso Trenti of the University of Modena – our scientific society makes an appeal to the institutions because, from our analyzes, an unsustainable situation emerges ”. The company makes an operational proposal: for some years, many Italian laboratories have joined a voluntary monitoring activity called e-Valuate, a methodology that aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the laboratory diagnostic system. Currently there are data from 25 Italian laboratories for 75 different locations. By applying the analysis to 21 among the most requested biochemical services – says Trenti – the economic volume of turnover can be verified. The analysis makes it possible to compare the real costs of the individual exams, calculating the percentage of coverage of the rate. “Well, the analysis of these limited and partial data already indicate – in our opinion – an absolute insufficiency of the new tariffs proposed to cover the real costs. We are ready to extend the analysis to all laboratory performances, if useful ”.
The value of 75% of the cost
According to Sibioc, a possible criterion for defining individual tariffs could be represented by the value of 75% of the real cost measured. “As a scientific society – concludes Trenti – we are ready to work together with the institutions to develop a correct tariff, sustainable for the national health system, for citizens and for public and private operators in the sector”.