Advocacy News

• House subcommittee sets hearing on RESULTS Act to stop lab cuts
• 2026 Medicare pay changes Congress needs to address
• Health officials propose new health IT regulation
• HHS pulls back on non-finalized health data proposals
• Six ways to fuel advocacy in 2026

The Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Health has scheduled a January 8 hearing focused on improving Medicare payment policies. 

The impact: The agenda includes discussion of the Reforming and Enhancing Sustainable Updates to Laboratory Testing Services (RESULTS) Act of 2025.

• The CAP strongly supports the bipartisan RESULTS Act, which would stop Medicare payment cuts of up to 15% to clinical laboratory tests set to take effect on January 31.
• Holding a hearing on the bill moves it a step closer to passage. 

Action alert: Ahead of the hearing, CAP members can urge Congress to pass the RESULTS Act.

Go deeper: Read the subcommittee hearing announcement.

While we welcome the new year, cuts to Medicare are affecting payment for your services. 

• The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' (CMS) 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule includes an "efficiency adjustment" that cut Medicare payments by 2.5% starting January 1, 2026. 

By the numbers: 7,000 physician services from almost all specialties are being reduced based on assumed “efficiencies” rather than supporting data. 

• Continued cuts to pathology services result in patients having longer turnaround times for test results.
• Delays in diagnoses lead to delayed treatment, added stress for patients and laboratory staff, and, in serious cases, worse outcomes.
• These cuts also disproportionately affect rural and underserved communities. 

Now is the time to act. There's still time to stop additional payment cuts to pathology. Use our Action Alert to tell Congress how these arbitrary cuts will affect you, your labs, and your patients.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has proposed a new rule to enhance health information technology standards.

Zoom in: The proposal intends, among other things, to promote electronic health information access so patients can retrieve their personal medical data. 

• The proposal includes reducing 34 of the current 60 certification criteria and intends to alleviate burdens on health IT developers and promote AI-enabled interoperability. 

The big picture: Removing the exceptions for tech vendors may prevent them from blocking critical information for patients and physicians, including updates to regulations on information blocking. 

Yes, but: The potential impact on laboratory information systems is limited, and pathologists could see few benefits. The proposed changes also differ from the CAP’s recommendations, which call for an exception for pathology and laboratory results.

What's next: The CAP will submit comments on the proposal to the HHS by the February 27 deadline.

In more changes regarding health IT standards, the HHS is retracting unresolved sections of the Health Data, Technology, and Interoperability (HTI-2) proposed regulation from 2024.

• The changes affect some proposals supported by the CAP.

Background: The initial rule proposed updating and adding requirements regarding health information technology, information blocking, and the Trusted Exchange Framework and the Common Agreement.

• Most HTI-2 proposals backed by the CAP remain unfinalized, affecting initiatives around laboratory data exchange. 

Yes, but: Two proposals that the CAP expressed concerns with were withdrawn.

Imaging: The CAP raised concerns that proposed certification requirements to support the access, exchange, and use of diagnostic images via links would hurt pathologists. 

• We advocated for the exclusion of pathology and clinical laboratory images unless exchanged for patient care.

Public Health Data Exchange: Another proposal called to adopt a new certification criterion that would establish requirements for a standardized API for public health data exchange. 

• The CAP noted its lack of readiness for comprehensive lab use cases and the potential costs of replacing current interfaces.

What's next: The CAP will continue to monitor and keep members updated as more information becomes available.

Advocacy makes a difference for pathologists and patients. With 2026 being another critical year, your voices support your practices, labs, and patients. 

Here are six ways to jumpstart your advocacy in 2026.

• Join PathNET: Become a member of PathNET, the CAP’s grassroots advocacy network, for the latest on legislative issues and policies pertinent to pathology.
• Use our Action Alert Center: Our updated Action Alert Center allows you to reach out to Congress directly about critical issues affecting pathologists and patients, including stopping payment cuts.
• Sign up for grassroots text alerts: Opt-in and never miss the latest advocacy news with our text alerts. (No more than three texts per month.)
• Host a laboratory tour: Invite your member of Congress to visit your labs! Give them a behind-the-scenes tour and educate them on the critical services pathologists provide. Use our Lab Tours Toolkit to get started.
• Attend HODPLS 2026: Don’t miss this year’s House of Delegates and Pathologists Leadership Summit, April 25–28, in Washington, DC. This is one of many opportunities for you and your colleagues to meet with lawmakers and discuss key policies that will shape the future of pathology. Registration details coming soon!
• Follow the CAP on social media: Get vocal on social and share content with your followers.