Advocacy Overview

The AMP advocacy program endeavors to inform and influence public policy affecting molecular pathology. AMP represents its membership to the federal agencies and members of Congress regarding professional and reimbursement issues — reaching out to fellow professional associations, industry and other association partners to accomplish common goals. You can read more about two of our main advocacy topics below:

Before the 2019 AMP Annual Meeting & Expo, about AMP members ventured from Baltimore Capitol Hill to meet with their elected representatives. This was the second AMP Advocacy Day in the organization's 25-year history. The first was held in conjunction with the AMP 2014 Annual Meeting & Expo in Washington, D.C.

Laboratory-developed testing procedures (LDPs)

Molecular pathology professionals dedicate their careers to ensuring that patients receive the most appropriate services for their clinical conditions, and that all laboratory developed testing procedures (LDPs) are accurate, precise, clinically relevant, and continually monitored for quality performance. AMP closely monitors and influences public policy affecting LDPs oversight. AMP has numerous resources on this issue freely available to the public, including efforts to modernize the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) program at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

Coverage and reimbursement

The final rule implementing section 216 of the Protecting Access to Medicare Act (PAMA) was released in June 2016. With an implementation date of January 1, 2018, PAMA significantly revises the Medicare payment system for clinical diagnostic laboratory tests by requiring that Medicare payment for clinical laboratories be based on the weighted median of private payer rates along with a number of other provisions. AMP is helping to prepare clinical laboratories for PAMA by offering resources that provide details on the data reporting requirements as well as other provisions included in PAMA.

Position statements, comments and letters

Position statements, comments and letters are usually generated by our Professional Relations and Economic Affairs committees, though our Clinical Practice and Training & Education committees advocate in their areas as well.

View all AMP position statements and letters.

Read the latest issue of The ChAMPion.

Read the latest AMP blog post.

Read "A Molecular Diagnostic Perfect Storm: The Convergence of Regulatory & Reimbursement Forces that Threaten Patient Access to Innovations in Genomic Medicine," a white paper published by AMP.

For more information, please contact policy@amp.org.