Previous Advocacy Updates

The CAP monitors latest house committee solution for surprise medical bills. In a recent letter to committee members, the House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal (D-MA) proposed a different approach to end surprise medical bills through the regulatory rulemaking process.

The CAP strongly opposed the CMS decision to remove the autopsy standards for hospitals. With this regulation change, hospitals are no longer required to have autopsy programs to qualify for Medicare reimbursement.

The CAP firmly stated concerns about proposals from the CMS to develop new bundled payments and emphasized its concerns around the Stark law.

The CAP strongly urged CMS to reconsider and abandon cuts to pathology payments in the proposed 2020 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule.

More than 1,000 pathologists have chosen the Pathologists Quality Registry for the 2019 performance year.

Since April, the CAP has urged Anthem to reverse the new policy given the serious negative impacts on pathologists and patients’ access to pathology services.

Key CAP leaders urged the Anthem to reverse cuts to pathology services the insurer has rolled out in multiple states.

Since April, the CAP has urged Anthem to reverse the new policy given the serious negative impacts on pathologists and patients’ access to pathology services.

Because of the CAP’s advocacy, the CMS will increase reimbursements for CAR T-cell therapies in 2020.

The CAP urged the CMS to provide regulatory relief on several issues that affect pathologists, including prior authorization, rural health care access, evaluation and management services, and timely regulation communication.

The CMS released the proposed 2020 Medicare physician fee schedule with some changes to the evaluation and management (E/M) payments. The CMS proposed an increase payment for E/M office visit services for primary care and decrease for all other specialty services and procedures, including pathology services.

A US Court of Appeals ruled in the CAP’s favor by reversing a lower court decision and stating that federal courts do have jurisdiction to decide the merits of a challenge to the federal government’s administration of PAMA.

The CMS proposed its 2020 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule and new rules for next year’s Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS).

On July 25, CAP members will receive an email directing them to use a form letter to email their representatives and senators to advocate on out-of-network medical bills.

The CAP opposed the No Surprises Act because it fails to include an independent dispute resolution process that’s successfully proven to keep patients from receiving surprise medical bills.

The CAP supports the Protecting People from Surprise Medical Bills Act legislation, which has earned 40 cosponsors in the House.

Citing concerns over a payment formula that creates imbalance and threatens patient access to pathology services, the CAP opposed the out-of-network reimbursement provisions included in the latest Surprise Medical Billing legislation.

The CAP urged lawmakers to establish a fair arbitration process while holding patients harmless when physicians services are unexpectedly provided out of network.

The CAP led a delegation of pathologists at the 2019 American Medical Association Annual Meeting to set policy affecting the practice of medicine the weekend of June 8.

The CAP will lead a delegation of pathologists at the 2019 AMA annual meeting to set policy that affects the practice of medicine.