The CAP provides direct lobbying to Congress and other legislative and regulatory bodies on issues important to pathology and laboratory practice. The CAP is the only pathologists’ society set up as a 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization. In 1992, the CAP organized PathPAC, a political action committee, solely to support candidates for political office sympathetic to the pathologist cause. Since 2009, CAP members have contributed $4.4 million to PathPAC.
With a Washington, DC-based staff of over 30 employees including legislative and regulatory lobbyists and analysts, its nonprofit status fully empowers the CAP to advocate for pathology and lead the entire pathology community for decades in its efforts to ensure a favorable economic and regulatory environment for pathologists and clinical laboratories.
Read the annual report to learn more about CAP’s advocacy achievements.
Why the CAP’s Advocacy Is Stronger Than Others
| College of American Pathologists | American Society for Clinical Pathology | Association for Molecular Pathology | United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology | Association of Pathology Chairs | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Has a 501(c)(6) Status | |||||
| Has Unlimited Lobbying Capability | |||||
| Spends Over $10 Million on Federal Legislative Lobbying | |||||
| Has a Political Action Committee | |||||
| Has a Robust State Advocacy Program |
Sources: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, OpenSecrets: Center for Responsive Politics, organization websites and 990 forms.
CAP Advocacy Wins
The CAP is the only pathologist organization on a physician-led committee recommending what Medicare pays for physician services.
- The CAP holds the permanent voting seat for pathologists on the American Medical Association/Specialty Society Relative Value Scale Update Committee (RUC).
- The CAP advocacy efforts secured a 151% increase for the service of molecular interpretation in 2021.
The CAP’s Pathologists Quality Registry improves practice quality and maximizes scores used to adjust Medicare payments.
- Since 2007, the CAP has developed quality measures used by pathologists to earn tens of millions of dollars in Medicare bonuses.
- CAP-developed measures enable pathologists to successfully participate in payment programs and prevent payment penalties to their patient services.
The CAP is the only pathologist organization on a specialty coalition fighting Medicare cuts.
- The CAP worked with lawmakers and physician organizations to improve the No Surprises Act, including holding patients harmless, fair reimbursement for care, and efforts to address network adequacy standards.