A Statement by CAP President R. Bruce Williams on the Local Coverage Determination Clarification Act

Contact: Apoorva Stull
Phone: 202-354-7102
E-mail: media@cap.org

Washington, DC — College of American Pathologists (CAP) President R. Bruce Williams, MD, FCAP issued the following statement on the House Ways and Means Committee markup of the Local Coverage Determination Clarification Act (H.R. 3635):
“The House Ways and Means Committee has favorably reported the Local Coverage Determination Clarification Act containing several provisions the CAP supports to improve accountability and transparency in Medicare's Local Coverage Determination (LCD) process. We are disappointed that the committee, at the request of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, has removed one of the bill's cornerstone provisions to stop Medicare contractors from rubberstamping coverage decisions and using the LCD program to circumvent the more rigorous requirements of the National Coverage Determination process. The CAP urges congressional leaders to put this key provision back in the legislation. We're committed to working with House and Senate leaders to safeguard Medicare patients from flawed LCDs and ensure Medicare administrative contractors base all their coverage decisions on sound scientific evidence and advice from local physicians and other health care professionals.”

About the College of American Pathologists

As the world's largest organization of board-certified pathologists and leading provider of laboratory accreditation and proficiency testing programs, the College of American Pathologists (CAP) serves patients, pathologists, and the public by fostering and advocating excellence in the practice of pathology and laboratory medicine worldwide. For more information, read the 2017 CAP Annual Report at CAP.ORG.