Sorry I missed this post until now - hope I can still offer some useful advice!!
Pro-Lab is a cheap testing source, but I have many concerns about the quality of their work. Their affiliation with ASHI is simply as a paid member/sponsor, it does not connote any quality of work.
Any lab can confirm asbestos if you provide a small sample, including ProLab with teh home test kit. SImilarly, most home inspectors should be able to identify it, although many will not state that it is asbestos without lab confirmation for liability reasons.
While many people just want to be rid of the stuff, the truth is that if it is enclosed within a wall, or not firable (able to be made airborn) then it is typically not considered actively harmful, and encapsulation (enclosing it within another material) is often recommended. A lot also depnds on the location of the materials - is it flooring, pipe insulation, duct wrap, siding?
I can give you some more information if you can provide a little more specifics. In short: No, it is not absolutely necessary to remove it, and there may even be safer or more effective ways to handle it.
Sherlock Homes Inspections
www.SherlockHI.com