Advocacy News

• CAP to Congress: Protect cancer research funding
• August is for action: Five ways to help your specialty
• FDA LDT rule rescinded
• CAP Board election results announced
• Breaking: Members advocate for student health in online news conference
• Your Medicare fee questions answered

The CAP wants Congress to maintain funding for vital cancer programs. 

The big picture: In a letter addressed to the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, the CAP has raised concerns about the proposal to eliminate the CDC’s Division of Cancer Prevention and Control in President Trump's FY 2026 budget. 

This division is crucial for data collection and funding that support cancer surveillance programs across the US. Eliminating this division would severely impact cancer data collection and impede progress in reducing cancer risk. 

The CDC's delay in awarding FY 2025 funds has already put programs at risk. 

By the numbers: In 2026, over two million new cancer diagnoses are expected in the US. 

• Continued support is essential to understand cancer causes and improve prevention and treatment strategies.
• Immediate action is needed to ensure these funds reach state and local health departments. 

What's next: CAP members can use the Action Alert Center to tell Congress to protect cancer research funding. 

The August Recess Rally is underway, and our advocacy is heating up! Here are ways to make your voice heard on key policy issues before Congress returns to Capitol Hill next month. 

1. Stay connected
   • Sign up for PathNET, the CAP's grassroots advocacy network, and stay up to date on the latest news, updates, and alerts regarding legislative issues important to pathology.
2. Host a lab tour
   • Bring Congress to you by inviting your member of Congress to tour your laboratory for a firsthand look at the essential work pathologists do. For more information, take a look at our updated Lab Tours Toolkit!
3. Receive real-time updates
   • Sign up for CAP Advocacy Grassroots Text Alerts and get updates right on your phone.
4. Contact your representatives.
   • Use the Action Center to reach out about critical issues affecting pathologists and patients, including the physician workforce shortage, PERA, Prior Authorization, and others.
   • Check out our step-by-step tutorial on sending an Action Alert.
5. Share your thoughts
   • Take our brief August Recess Rally survey. Your response will help inform us about how you want to be involved in the issues that matter most to you!

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has formally rescinded the laboratory-developed tests (LDT) rule following a court decision, with regulatory review pending.

The rescission is a pro forma action, in compliance with a US District Court ruling that nullified the FDA’s regulation on the oversight of LDTs.

• Since the FDA did not move to appeal the decision vacating the LDT final rule, the rescission is largely a formality.

What's next: The rescission is pending regulatory review by the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) pursuant to Executive Order 12866, and a formal notice in the Federal Register is expected within sixty days.

The CAP Board of Governors election results are final. 

Driving the news: Incoming Governors will be sworn in at the Meeting of the Membership at CAP25, September 13, in Orlando, Florida.

The results: 

• President-Elect: Kalisha Ashara Hill, MD, MBA, FCAP (2025–2027 term)
• Governors: Earle S. Collum, MD, FCAP; Raj C. Dash, MD, FCAP; M.E. (Doc) de Baca, MD, FCAP; and Aaron C. Han, MD, PhD, FCAP. (2025–2028 term)

Also happening at the annual meeting:

• Swearing-in ceremony: Qihui "Jim" Zhai, MD, FCAP, will become the 39th CAP President.
• Member recognition: We'll honor outgoing Board members for their dedication and contribution to the CAP and pathology.
• President's Address & State of the CAP: Attendees will hear updates on the CAP's current status and future strategic priorities. 

Join us: All members are invited to attend. 

Register today for CAP25! 

As families prepare for the 2025–2026 school year, multiple infectious diseases are circulating in some communities. This mix of illnesses could lead to increases in classroom disruptions and student absences.

This morning, CAP experts held a national media briefing, highlighting the role of pathology and lab medicine in detecting outbreaks and supporting public health responses. 

Expert panel: Bobbi S. Pritt, MD, MSc, FCAP; C. Leilani Valdes, MD, MBA, FCAP; and David A. Schwartz, MD, MS Hyg, FCAP, identified practical steps that schools, health care providers, and families can take to reduce illness and keep children healthy. 

Media outlets included a broad mix of national news organizations, regional broadcasters, health publications, and public media, including Bloomberg News, Verywell Health, Politico, Georgia Public Broadcasting, WHYY-TV (Philadelphia), the Associated Press, the Bump, and the Baltimore Banner, among others.

What's next: Read about it in Thursday’s PATH News Today: Weekly Edition email newsletter or listen later this week on our PATH News Network newscast. 

Did you miss our webinar on the 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule and Quality Payment Program rulemaking? Watch the on-demand recording featuring CAP experts A. Joe Saad, MD, CPE, FCAP; Ronald W. McLawhon, MD, PhD, FCAP; and Gregary Bocsi, DO, FCAP. 

Keep an eye out for a comprehensive overview of proposed changes and how they may affect pathologists next year.

Watch the Replay