Fair Access to Diagnostics. Better Outcomes for Every Patient.

Every patient deserves timely access to medically necessary diagnostic testing, regardless of their insurance plan or which laboratory their health system prefers. Today, millions of patients face delayed or incomplete diagnoses because qualified, CLIA-certified laboratories are excluded from payer networks. FHAC works to eliminate these barriers by ensuring patients retain the right to choose the most appropriate provider for their care—especially in cases involving rare, chronic, or hereditary disease.

Our goal is simple: the right test, at the right time, for every patient.

Independent laboratories play a critical role in early detection, rare disease diagnostics, antimicrobial stewardship, and precision medicine. Despite meeting all state and federal quality standards, many remain locked out of Medicaid and commercial insurance networks due to outdated contracting rules. FHAC advocates for policies that classify CLIA-certified laboratories as providers, not vendors, ensuring they can participate on fair and nondiscriminatory terms.
When qualified labs are included in networks, patients benefit—and healthcare systems perform better.

Network inclusion decisions often occur behind closed doors, leaving laboratories without clear explanations and patients without access to essential testing. FHAC promotes transparency and accountability in how payers decide which providers can join their networks. We advocate for consistent standards, clear timelines, and reasonable denial criteria so laboratories—and the patients they serve—can navigate these processes fairly.

Our aim is a system where quality and compliance—not favoritism—determine who gets in.

Healthy competition drives innovation, lowers costs, and improves care. Yet restrictive contracting and exclusive laboratory arrangements limit competition in ways that ultimately harm patients. FHAC supports policies that allow qualified laboratories—large and small—to participate in networks, encourage technological advancement, and make cutting-edge diagnostics available to more communities.

By leveling the playing field, we unlock better outcomes and accelerate the future of personalized medicine.

Patients and clinicians often face unnecessary test denials that delay diagnosis and frustrate care. FHAC provides tools, templates, and guidance to help individuals challenge inappropriate denials, appeal coverage decisions, and understand their rights under state and federal law.

Our goal is to ensure no patient or provider navigates coverage barriers alone—and that medically necessary testing is treated as an essential part of care, not an administrative burden.

Improving diagnostic access requires collaboration across the entire healthcare ecosystem. FHAC works with clinicians, hospitals, patient advocacy groups, public health officials, and policymakers to develop modern, evidence-based network access policies that reflect today’s diagnostic capabilities. Together, we aim to build a healthcare system where innovation is encouraged, not restricted, and where access keeps pace with medical progress.
We believe that sustainable reform happens with stakeholders—not to them.