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September 24, 2025
In this issue:
CLFS Reform Introduced in Congress
Trump Proposes new $100,000 Fee on H-1B Visas
Urge Congress to Support Healthcare Workforce Development
ASCP Seeks Exemption to Student Loan Limits for Pathologists and Laboratory Professionals
Dr. Katerina Kearns Elected as Resident and Fellow Section Alternate Delegate to AMA House of Delegates
Medicare Physician and Laboratory Fee Schedules Need Reform, ASCP Argues
CLFS Reform Introduced in Congress
ASCP Supports Common Fellowship Application Timeline
Attend ASCP 2025 in Atlanta!
CLFS Reform Introduced in Congress
The RESULTS Act has been introduced in Congress to reform how CMS calculates clinical laboratory payment rates, addressing long-standing flaws in the current system. The bill would shift data collection away from laboratories to independent claims data entities while maintaining safeguards like volume-weighted median rates and a 15 percent annual cap on cuts. Read more.
Trump Proposes new $100,000 Fee on H-1B Visas
President Trump issued an executive order raising the H-1B visa fee to $100,000, a change expected to significantly affect employers’ ability to hire foreign professionals for hard-to-fill positions. ASCP has expressed concern that the steep increase could limit recruitment in pathology and laboratory medicine, particularly in rural and underserved areas. Read more.
Urge Congress to Support Healthcare Workforce Development
The American Society for Clinical Pathology urges pathologists and laboratory professionals to contact Congress in support of two bipartisan measures addressing the nation’s physician shortage: the Resident Physician Shortage Act and the Doctors in Our Borders Act. These bills would expand medical residency positions and increase visa waivers for international physicians, helping to improve patient access to care, especially in underserved areas. Read more.
ASCP Seeks Exemption to Student Loan Limits for Pathologists and Laboratory Professionals
ASCP is urging the federal government to exempt medical and other health professions students from new federal loan limits. They argue that the restrictions, enacted under President Trump’s budget and tax bill, could worsen workforce shortages in rural and underserved areas. Read more.
Dr. Katerina Kearns Elected as Resident and Fellow Section Alternate Delegate to AMA House of Delegates
ASCP is pleased to announce that Katerina Kearns, MD, has been elected as the Resident and Fellow Section Alternate Delegate to the AMA House of Delegates at the 2025 Annual Meeting. In this role, she will represent trainees in national policy discussions and help raise the visibility of pathology and laboratory medicine across the medical community. Read more.
Medicare Physician and Laboratory Fee Schedules Need Reform, ASCP Argues
ASCP submitted comments to CMS opposing proposed payment cuts in the CY 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, including a -2.5 percent efficiency adjustment and a 7 percent reduction for hospital-based services, which would heavily impact pathologists. ASCP also raised concerns about cuts to the Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule, warning that up to 820 test codes could be reduced by 15 percent and urged updates to PAMA’s outdated data reporting periods to reflect inflation. Read more.
ASCP Supports Common Fellowship Application Timeline
Several pathology subspecialties, including Hematopathology, Molecular Genetic Pathology, Forensic Pathology, and Bone and Soft Tissue Pathology, have joined the NRMP fellowship match for 2026–2027, with more subspecialties nearing eligibility. ASCP has endorsed a statement from the Association for Academic Pathology supporting a common fellowship timeline, with the goal of broad participation in a 2027 match for the 2028–2029 academic year. Read more.
Attend ASCP 2025 in Atlanta!
Join the medical laboratory community at the ASCP 2025 Annual Meeting in Atlanta, November 17-20. ASCP is a global leader in providing premier educational opportunities for pathologists and laboratory professionals at every stage of their careers. With expert-led sessions, attendees can build skills, access high-quality learning and learn more about advocacy efforts to benefit the laboratory and patient care. ASCP 2025 also offers valuable networking opportunities to connect, collaborate, and share perspectives with peers worldwide. Learn more.
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