Advocacy Update

• CAP urges CMS to Increase Transparency and Endpoints for Clinical Studies to Expand Coverage for Medicare Patients
• 5 Tips for an Effective Meeting with your Legislator
• PHOTO: Dr. Wu and Rep. Van Duyne
• Take Our News Quiz for August

The CAP improved both local and national coverage processes to ensure access to timely, quality care for Medicare patients over the years. This work includes ensuring appropriate conditional coverage through an effective and efficient coverage with evidence development (CED) process. In a letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on August 21, the CAP recommended further improvements to the CED process and the general requirements for clinical studies submitted to the CMS. The CAP believes the CED process must be selectively utilized and intended only to provide for evidence-based coverage that accelerates and expands access to services for patients, rather than restrict their use by physicians and other providers, the CAP said.

The CAP also expressed concern about the lack of transparency around the funding and maintenance of data collection for CED and the CAP urges the CMS to make this information available to the public.

The CAP said that for any technology or service provided coverage through CED, an endpoint should be established for when the process is complete. We are hopeful that the inclusion of a written plan that describes the schedule for completion of key study milestones, including results reporting, will help ensure timely completion of the CED process.

Overall, the CAP supports expedited coverage that ensures Medicare beneficiaries receive predictable access to new and innovative medical technologies.

You reached out to your local member of Congress while they are home during August recess, and they agreed to meet with you. Here are some tips on how to make the policy interests of pathologists heard:

• Ask for what you want. Tell your legislator the specific action you would like him or her to take in support of your request. Be specific in the change you want to see in a law or policy.
• Leave materials behind. Bring handouts, infographics, and a business card. Offer to be a resource for future healthcare legislation. Building a relationship based on mutual give and take will help to further your cause.
• Do your research. Know what committees they serve on, what policies they support and what party they represent.
• Take a photo and post it to social media. Tag the legislator and thank them for meeting with you to discuss a specific law or policy that affects pathologists. Send the photo and a brief synopsis to tarnold@cap.org to be featured in an upcoming edition of Advocacy Update.
• Follow up. Thank the legislator or staff person for their time. Be sure to send a thank you letter or email, in which you should either make your request again or thank them for their responsiveness.

Learn more about the benefits of political action here.

Sang Wu, MD, FCAP, speaker for the CAP’s House of Delegates joined a local health care roundtable in May sponsored by Rep. Beth Van Duyne’s (R-TX). During the meeting, Dr. Wu brought up three asks from CAP’s 2023 Hill Day. Rep. Van Duyne was recently appointed to the House Ways & Means Committee and has shown interest in learning more about health care issues.

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