Lab work signature rule rescinded

Good news from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS): The agency has decided to drop a rule that would have required you to sign requisitions for lab tests for your Medicare patients.

The signature policy has been on the books since January 1 but wasn't set to be enforced until April 1. CMS said the rule would make it easier for lab technicians to know whether a test was correctly ordered and would make Medicare audits easier.

Medical organizations, including the American Medical Association, protested to CMS, saying that the requirement would create more paperwork and hurt patient care by causing delays in ordering and performing tests.