Volume and Cost of Clinical Lab Tests Expected to Rise in 2023

What You Should Know: 

• According to a new report on lab trends, the overall number of routine lab tests declined from 2021 to 2022, largely due to a reduction in COVID-19 tests. However, the number of non-COVID tests rose during the same period and is expected to continue to grow, along with overall spending on tests.
• The 2023 Lab Trend Report comes from Avalon Healthcare Solutions, a Lab Insights company that provides an annual evaluation of the status of U.S. clinical lab testing and an analysis of what to expect in the coming year. 

Variety and complexity of routine and genetic testing poses challenge for health plans and clinicians

More than 14 billion clinical laboratory tests are performed each year, making it the number one utilized medical benefit, and yet these diagnostics have the least management. Overall, lab tests drive 70% of medical treatment decisions, and have a disproportionate impact on spending throughout the care continuum. Avalon uses its specialized knowledge of lab science and breadth of data on how lab testing impacts other areas of medicine to identify trends in clinical testing. 

Other key findings of the 2023 Lab Trend Report include: 

• Overuse and unnecessary repetition of lab tests are common. Up to 30% of tests are inappropriate or unnecessary.
• The number of genetic tests is enormous and increasing drastically. There are more than 135,000 genetic tests available with more than 10 new ones added daily.
• Though they constitute only 10% of the tests performed, genetic tests account for 30% of spending.
• The cost of lab tests varies widely depending on where they are performed. Hospital tests cost more than those performed at independent laboratories.

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