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- In Case You Missed It: CAP Works to Offset Cuts to Pathologists Pay for 2025
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) adopted several payment policies advocated for by the CAP in the 2025 final Physician Fee Schedule and Quality Payment Program regulation released November 1. As a result of the CAP’s advocacy efforts, for example, the CMS updated the relative value units (RVUs) for three apheresis services and increased non-physician cost components for key pathology and laboratory labor types.
The 2025 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule does, however, include payment cuts to pathologists, independent laboratories, physicians, and other providers. These cuts are not a result of new policies, but stem from the expiration of two congressional Medicare pay relief packages. These relief packages were intended to offset the previously finalized cuts in the 2023 and 2024 Medicare Physician Fee Schedules. The CAP strongly opposes these cuts and is actively pushing Congress to act before the relief expires and the cuts take effect.
Briefly, here are the key topics included in the 2025 final rule:
- The expiration of congressional relief will negatively impact pathologists and other specialties throughout the physician fee schedule. Download the impact table showing the finalized changes to pathology services in 2025.
- The CMS increased Medicare Quality Payment Program (QPP) requirements for 2025, making it more difficult for eligible clinicians to avoid payment penalties.
- Learn more: Register for the CAP’s Medicare webinar on December 4, 2024. providing a comprehensive overview of the finalized fee schedule changes to pathology services and the QPP.