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Previous Advocacy Updates

  • August 1, 2023

    Did you miss the proposed 2024 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule webinar on July 26? Listen to the recording of our expert panel present and answer questions about the latest Medicare payment policies concerning individual pathology services and the Quality Payment Program next year.

  • July 25, 2023

    State Pathology Societies and the CAP called on the Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) Palmetto to remove certain coverage guidance and summary of evidence policies to its coverage for special stains. The CAP has long opposed Palmetto’s policies on special stains and has collaborated with state pathology societies in Palmetto’s jurisdiction in an effort to make necessary changes supported by medical evidence.

  • July 18, 2023

    On July 13, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released its proposed 2024 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule outlining cuts to pathologists, independent laboratories, and other specialties to offset increases to primary care physician services. The CAP has strongly opposed these cuts and is actively lobbying Congress to mitigate the decreases before they take effect.

  • July 13, 2023

    Special Issue: The proposed 2024 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule released on July 13 outlined deep cuts to pathologists, independent laboratories, and other specialties to offset increases to other physicians. The CAP has strongly opposed these cuts and is actively lobbying Congress to mitigate the decreases before they take effect.

  • July 11, 2023

    The American Medical Association’s (AMA) CPT Editorial Panel released the new CAP developed CPT codes on June 30, The CAP worked with the AMA CPT Editorial Panel to establish new digital add-on codes.

  • June 27, 2023

    The Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Programs (CAAHEP) is considering a name change for the profession from cytotechnologist to “cytologist.” Of greatest concern is that the name change will create confusion throughout the health care system.

  • June 20, 2023

    A proposal to change the professional title of cytotechnologist to “cytologist” would occur under new guidelines currently under review of an allied health accreditation body. The CAP has strongly opposed the name change for several reasons but the proposal has moved forward despite the CAP’s objections.

  • June 15, 2023

    With a set goal of a predictable, sustainable, and fair physician payment system, the American Medical Association (AMA) House of Delegates declared Medicare physician payment reform an urgent advocacy and legislative priority for the AMA to address with a targeted campaign during its 2023 Annual Meeting in Chicago. Delegates representing the CAP at the meeting supported the measure as pathologists have fought against across-the-board Medicare cuts to all physicians for several years.

  • June 6, 2023

    Following on our success for 2023, the CAP advocated for the inclusion of 30 new CPT digital pathology codes for pathologists to use in 2024.

  • May 23, 2023

    Following 145 meetings with congressional offices on the CAP’s annual Hill Day, several legislators agreed to cosponsor legislation that pathologists specifically asked their representatives and senators to support.

  • May 16, 2023

    As the COVID-19 public health emergency ended May 11, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) updated its guidance to allow pathologists the ability to review digital slides and data remotely as long as they meet specific criteria.

  • May 9, 2023

    On the heels of a successful 2023 Hill Day that saw nearly 100 CAP members meet with 145 congressional offices, pathologists have amassed tangible legislative momentum — but we need to build on that by continuing to contact legislators. 

  • May 2, 2023

    Enforcement discretion to allow pathologists to review slides remotely without the need of a separate CLIA certificate for their remote locations will continue once the public health emergency for COVID-19 ends later in May. However, reporting of COVID-19 laboratory results to the federal government will no longer have the authority to require this data to be reported from laboratories.

  • April 25, 2023

    For our 2023 Hill Day, CAP members met with their federal lawmakers and advocated to protect the value of pathology services.

  • April 18, 2023

    To prepare for the CAP’s annual Hill Day, CAP members discussed strategies for how they will engage their members of Congress at the Pathologists Leadership Summit on April 17. CAP Advocacy leaders prepared pathologists to lobby Congress on three main policies affecting the specialty: stopping Medicare cuts to pathology services, including laboratory service reimbursements, and resolving workforce shortage issues.

  • April 11, 2023

    The CAP submitted comments in support of a recent proposal by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to relax rules on who is eligible to donate blood. Under draft recommendations announced January 26, monogamous gay and bisexual men would be allowed to donate blood and eligibility would be determined using individual risk-based questions.

  • April 4, 2023

    On March 29, Reps. Terri Sewell (D-AL) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) introduced the bipartisan Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2023. This legislation would combat the nation’s physician shortage and improve access to health care by expanding the number of Medicare-supported medical residency positions by 14,000 over seven years. The CAP has long advocated for increased funding to support more GME residency slots, which is essential to addressing critical shortages of pathologists in the coming years and is one of the 2023 Advocacy asks.

  • March 28, 2023

    The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued revised guidance for the federal independent dispute resolution (IDR) process that is part of the No Surprises Act. The new guidance is the direct result of the federal litigation filed by the Texas Medical Association that was decided in favor of physicians.

  • March 21, 2023

    The CAP, the American Medical Association (AMA), and over 130 medical professional societies asked Congress to pass legislation that provides an annual inflation-based payment update based on the full Medicare Economic Index (MEI).

  • March 14, 2023

    CAP President Emily E. Volk, MD, FCAP met with the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Health Braintrust during a forum to discuss strategies to address inequities that pathologists can take in health care.

Analysis of Final 2020 Medicare Rule

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Direct questions or comments to:

advocacyupdate@cap.org

202-354-7100

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