WASHINGTON, DC (Sept. 22, 2026) –CAP President Qihui “Jim” Zhai, MD, FCAP, released the following statement after the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published the preliminary 2027 Medicare Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule payment rates on September 21:
“The 2027 Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule rates reinforce what laboratories and pathologists have known for years: the current payment system is not sustainable. Cuts of this scale threaten the stability of the laboratory infrastructure that patients and physicians rely on for accurate and timely diagnoses. We appreciate Congress’s ongoing efforts to address these challenges and urge lawmakers to enact the RESULTS Act, which would modernize the CLFS rate-setting process, better reflect today’s laboratory marketplace, and help protect patient access to essential diagnostic services for years to come.”