The College of American Pathologists (CAP) highlighted a few priorities for pathologists and laboratories that they are urging Congress to consider as they negotiate year-end legislation.
At the top of the list is prevention of scheduled Medicare cuts in 2023 and protecting Medicare payment for clinical laboratory fees before Dec. 31. Without congressional action, pathologists face a 3.64 percent cut to 2023 services. According to CAP, Congress is expected to mitigate the impending cut as done in recent years. CAP and a coalition of medical professional organizations recently asked senators to sign a letter to state their support for the prevention of Medicare cuts in 2023. CAP also joined more than 100 other medical and health groups in October in asking members of the House of Representatives to cosponsor the Supporting Medicare Providers Act of 2022. The aim of this legislation is to stop the upcoming Medicare reimbursement cuts and provide guidance to improve the Medicare Payment system.
CAP is also urging Congress to pass the Saving Access to Laboratory Services Act (SALSA), which will protect payment for clinical laboratory services. In a Sept. 8 coalition letter, CAP expressed support for reforms on how the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services collects data from laboratories and stops the 15 percent payment cut in 2023.
Finally, CAP is urging Congress to protect provisions in the Verifying Accurate Leading-edge IVCT Development (VALID) Act that provide flexibility to laboratories that also ensure patient access to new tests, as Congress seeks to reauthorize items and add other policies – including the VALID Act – in the Food and Drug Administration user fee reauthorization bill. CAP is seeking to protect the provisions in the VALID Act that put limits on the FDA and offer flexibilities for laboratories.
Source:
https://www.cap.org/advocacy/latest-news-and-practice-data/december-6-2022#story1
