• EAC plans to release a framework proposal for CPT coding of Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) assays by the end of June for feedback from stakeholders in the laboratory and payer community. The committee will then consider submission of a formal code change proposal to the AMA CPT Editorial Panel.

• The Professional Relations Committee (PRC) has formed a Working Group to address the complexities involved with oversight of LDTs. The group plans to complete their work by the end of the year.

• The seven-member coalition of laboratory professional associations has visited House Ways and Means and Senate Finance Committee members to seek sponsors for legislation to designate non-physician doctoral scientists with appropriate training and experience as Qualified Health Care Practitioners, permitted to bill Medicare directly from the Physician Fee Schedule for interpretive services for tests in the Molecular Pathology section of the CPT® codebook. Staffers are very interested in the issue and are open to supporting the legislation but so far no primary sponsors have emerged.

• AMP is actively opposing legislation that would severely restrict the ability of federal employees to attend conferences, including scientific and medical conferences. AMP is seeking a carve-out for scientific and medical conferences.

• The FDA user fee reauthorization bill includes a provision that requires FDA to notify Congress at least 60 days before publishing guidance documents regarding Laboratory Developed Tests (LDTs). This is advantageous to AMP’s position regarding oversight of LDTs.

• The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit hears oral argument July 20 in its reconsideration of the case in light of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Mayo v Prometheus. The Court has denied Myriad’s request that the case be dismissed on standing grounds. Both sides have filed their briefs on merit; the U.S. Attorney General’s office has filed an amicus brief in support of neither party. ACLU has now added the case documents to their website at http://www.aclu.org/brca.

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AMP News
Copyright 2012, Association for Molecular Pathology
9650 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20814-3993 (USA)
Tel: 301-634-7939  |  Fax: 301-634-7990  |  Email: amp@amp.org  |  www.amp.org

• The AMP 2012 Molecular Pathology Outreach Course will be held on Wednesday, October 24 at the Renaissance Hotel in Long Beach, CA right before the AMP 2012 Annual Meeting on Genomic Medicine. The course information is posted at http://www.amp.org/meetings/2012/mpoc/. Registration and Housing are now open!

• In addition to a Molecular Pathology Curriculum Task Force chaired by Charles Hill, a new task force on developing a molecular pathology curriculum for medical laboratory scientists has been formed. The task force is co-chaired by Sara Taylor and Ted Schutzbank, Chair of the Training & Education Committee.

• AMP boasts a record number of abstract submissions - 504 - for this year's Annual Meeting. This year's event is likely to be the largest and most comprehensive yet. Early (discounted) registration for the AMP Annual Meeting on Genomic Medicine ends in less than 60 days! Visit the following link for more information, to register and secure housing today: http://www.amp.org/meetings/2012/.

• The AMP Training and Education Committee is delighted to announce the AMP Webinar Series schedule for the remainder of 2012 and early 2013. Presented and hosted by acknowledged experts who openly share their knowledge and findings on topics of interest to you in your career, AMP Webinars are complimentary to all attendees - regardless of AMP membership status! Plus, for AMP members, all webinars are recorded and archived via the AMP member portal. For a list of upcoming webinars and to register for the July 11 webinar, New Mutations and the Genetic Basis of Autism and Intellectual Disability, please visit: http://www.amp.org/Webinars/future_webinars.cfm.

• The Nominating Committee is pleased to announce the 2012 Election results. Thank you to all the candidates for their willingness to serve. For a list of election winners visit: http://www.amp.org/documents/AMPELECTIONRESULTSFOR2013TERMOFSERVICE.pdf

• Nominating Committee Chair, Timothy O’Leary announced Wayne W. Grody, M.D., Ph.D. as the recipient of the 2012 AMP Leadership Award. This prestigious award will be presented during the AMP 2012 Annual Meeting on Genomic Medicine. For More information on the Leadership Award visit: http://www.amp.org/awards_grants_honors/amp_leadership_award.cfm

• The Membership Affairs Committee (MAC) has approved AMP support for several International Affairs Working Group (IAWG) outreach initiatives and meetings in 2012 and early 2013. These meetings will span the globe from Australia, Slovakia, the Netherlands, and Sweden. For more information on the IAWG and its outreach initiatives visit: http://www.amp.org/committees/membership_prof_dev/iawg/index.cfm

• The MAC is currently conducting a membership retention project; their personal outreach to colleagues always yields increased membership renewals. In addition, the MAC will launch a membership survey in late 2012 to evaluate member needs and how AMP can best serve the molecular pathology community. The MAC encourages all AMP members to invite their colleagues to join AMP! For more information on membership please visit www.amp.org/membership.

• The MAC is currently working on drafting proposals for two new awards for AMP members, the Outstanding Investigator Award and the Excellent Educator and Mentor Award. The Outstanding Investigator Award aims to award AMP members who have contributed breakthrough discoveries to molecular pathology. The Excellent Educator and Mentor Award would recognize AMP members who have substantially contributed to education and mentoring. Details to follow in future announcements from AMP.

• The Publications Committee welcomes and congratulates the recently appointed Electronic Media Advisors Dahui Qin, Mohamadou Sene, and Shalini Verma. The new volunteers will advise the Publications Committee and AMP Staff on electronic media opportunities and trends as they relate to molecular pathology and the AMP membership; and, they will monitor CHAMP 2.0 and make recommendations on improved usage...