FSC/PASS on TTS Statement: 'Misleading ... Disappointing'

FSC/PASS has issued the following statement in response to the statement promulgated by Talent Testing Service this morning concerning industry testing protocols and procedures: CANOGA PARK—The Talent Testing Service press release dated August 30, 2013 appears to be an attempt by Talent Testing Services to gain financial advantage over his competitors by providing misleading information. This is most disappointing. The current test panel was created and approved by the PASS Medical Advisory council which includes Dr. Darcy and Dr. Smith--doctors associated with and/or recommended by TTS itself. Moreover, the PASS panel is no different than Talent Testing's "GSP" with the exception that the PASS panel's TrepSure test cascades to the RPR test. This means, if there is a positive TrepSure, an RPR will be run to determine if the TrepSure is a false positive. Consequently, Talent Testing's panel provides no additional protection for the performer. As far as the concern expressed in the press release that performers “shopping around” might evade the protections offered by PASS, we did develop a policy when TTS offered Hepatitis testing prior to it being added to the test panel. If a testing facility has a medical issue with a performer with which they were concerned, the doctor associated with that facility would contact PASS and we would contact the physicians from the other testing facilities and ask them to red-flag that performer until he or she had resolved the issue with the doctor from the original facility. TTS was made aware of this policy as was its doctor. The real danger here is Talent Testing's attempt to undermine the industry's Performer Availability Screening Services. It is time--once and for all--for Talent Testing to decide if it wants to be part of the program or not. If it does, then the appropriate means to determine what is medically necessary, and ultimately what is best for performer safety, should be determined by the doctors and not used as a marketing tool for the benefit of one testing facility over another.