Power in numbers
May 2026—I just got good news: The CAP recently reached a record high in membership, breaking 20,000 total members for the first time in our history. While that’s a strong achievement for the CAP, the reason I’m excited about it is that it gives the CAP even more clout for advocacy efforts that help our entire profession.
It’s no secret there’s power in numbers. The CAP has known that since its founding, choosing an organizational structure that gives us the ability to support a strong advocacy presence in Washington, DC. One part of that structure is PathPAC, which was established to help ensure pathologists have a unified, informed voice in federal policy discussions.
PathPAC is a unique asset that other pathology associations do not have. It plays a role in how the CAP engages with federal policymakers and helps to elevate the perspective of practicing pathologists. On our behalf, the PathPAC and advocacy teams interact regularly with elected officials and their staff to explain what pathologists do, why our work is essential to patient care, and how federal policies affect our specialty. This includes educating lawmakers about the harms caused by repeated reimbursement cuts and helping them understand the real-world impact of complex regulatory and payment issues.
This kind of advocacy takes time, expertise, and sustained effort. While most of the CAP’s advocacy work is funded through CAP resources, PathPAC operates under federal rules that require it to be supported separately—this ensures clear structure and compliance as part of the CAP’s broader advocacy framework. If you’re interested in learning more about how PathPAC fits into the CAP’s overall advocacy strategy—or about the policy landscape affecting pathology today—I encourage you to reach out to our advocacy team, which is always happy to provide information.
In addition to what PathPAC does, the CAP also advocates for our community in many key areas. Here are a few of the CAP’s recent wins: It helped persuade Medicare to cover genetic and molecular diagnostic tests for patients suspected of having hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis; convinced the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to exclude pathology time-based codes from an efficiency adjustment policy; and defeated a Medicare coverage policy that had prevented us from providing certain kinds of testing for breast, lung, and prostate cancer.
That’s not the only way the CAP advocates for us. We also exert our influence through the CAP’s involvement with the American Medical Association. The CAP is the leading voice for pathology on CPT in the AMA/Specialty Society RVS Update Committee and in the AMA House of Delegates, serving as the secretariat to the pathology section council of the House of Delegates. In these decision-making bodies, we ensure that our unique role in health care is communicated, understood, and appropriately recognized. Participation also gives us the opportunity to stand united with the rest of medicine when appropriate, allowing us to build on advocacy efforts for our members and their patients. It is largely through our work with the AMA that the CAP has prevented devastating cuts to pathology reimbursement in recent years. Of course, our ability to influence AMA policy is heavily dependent on CAP members also joining the AMA, so if you are not an AMA member already, please consider becoming one.
Together, we wield far more clout than any of us could individually. Participating in the CAP allows us to operate collectively to advance the interests of our profession, and, most importantly, the needs of our patients. Some pathologists may be tempted to think that as long as the CAP helps the whole community, they don’t have to join to get the benefit. But that’s a shortsighted view. CAP members get so many more opportunities than nonmembers, such as taking part in key committee, networking, and leadership opportunities available only to members. These activities give members stronger career opportunities and stronger capabilities as pathologists to serve patients. If you have not yet officially joined the CAP, I encourage you to do so.
Dr. Zhai welcomes communication from CAP members. Write to him at president@cap.org.