CAP Discusses Actions to Eliminate Health Disparities with Congressional Black Caucus

College of American Pathologists (CAP) President Emily E. Volk, MD, FCAP met with the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Health Braintrust during a forum to discuss strategies to address inequities in health care on March 10.

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Friday, March 10, 2023
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Congressional News, Views, Public Policy, Government, Health, Healthcare Reform, Other Policy Issues, Managed Care, General Health, Congressional Black Caucus, Laboratory, Infection, CAP, Health equity, Kidney disease, Physician, Medicaid, CBC, COVID-19, See, Patient, Cystic fibrosis, Public, Congress, Marie Cassidy, Pharmaceutical industry, MD
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UNITED STATES, NORTH AMERICA, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
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COLLEGE OF AMERICAN PATHOLOGISTS
Summary
Key Points: 
  • College of American Pathologists (CAP) President Emily E. Volk, MD, FCAP met with the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Health Braintrust during a forum to discuss strategies to address inequities in health care on March 10.
  • Dr. Volk provided an overview of the CAP’s work to eliminate disparities in diagnostic algorithms and reference ranges, as well as current advocacy policies supporting Medicaid expansion and mitigating social determinants of health.
  • “By advocating for policies that reduce disparities we are creating an equitable system for both patients and physicians,” Dr. Volk said.
  • “For physicians to be successful, we must have the right health care policy infrastructure in place to take care of patients.


College of American Pathologists (CAP) President Emily E. Volk, MD, FCAP met with the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Health Braintrust during a forum to discuss strategies to address inequities in health care on March 10. Dr. Volk provided an overview of the CAP’s work to eliminate disparities in diagnostic algorithms and reference ranges, as well as current advocacy policies supporting Medicaid expansion and mitigating social determinants of health.

“By advocating for policies that reduce disparities we are creating an equitable system for both patients and physicians,” Dr. Volk said. “For physicians to be successful, we must have the right health care policy infrastructure in place to take care of patients. Pathologists are in a unique position to make advancements in this area as we make many of the diagnoses that inform how patients are treated.”

The Health Braintrust is the CBC’s principal health care advisory task force responsible for advancing health priorities, which include protecting health equity and reducing health disparities in all communities. Following an invitation to participate during the March 10 roundtable event, the CAP welcomed the opportunity to discuss how pathologists are working to address inequities and improve patient outcomes. For example, the use of race-based kidney function estimating equations has contributed to racial disparities in kidney disease. The CAP has worked with laboratories across the United States to incorporate non-race-based reference values in testing protocols for kidney disease.

The CAP is also reviewing reference ranges for transgender individuals and assessing the use of the appropriate algorithm for cystic fibrosis testing in newborns.

In terms of federal health policy, provisions under the COVID-19 public health emergency concerning testing and presumptive eligibility will soon end. States currently have the option to provide Medicaid coverage for testing and related services to individuals who are uninsured and otherwise ineligible for Medicaid. This option would expire once the emergency ends, but Congress should consider making the option permanent and expand testing criteria to a broader range of communicable diseases.

The CAP has sought federal legislative opportunities, such as The Caring for Social Determinants Act (HR 1066) to address the impact of social determinants on patient health and access to health care. At the CAP, the See, Test, & Treat program is a free cancer screening and health education program for medically underserved populations. See, Test, & Treat annually addresses social determinants of health by reducing barriers to care with same-day cervical and breast screening results to reduce multiple trips, free transportation, interpreter services, and free children’s activities during health care visits.

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. As a 501(c)(6) membership organization, the CAP is the only entity representing pathologists with unrestricted advocacy capability and a political action committee, PathPAC. For more information, visit yourpathologist.org to watch pathologists at work and see the stories of the patients who trust them with their care. Read the CAP Annual Report.

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