CMS suspends CLIA lab director enforcement policy

As a direct result of AADA advocacy, CMS will not enforce provisions of its revised CLIA laboratory director policy that had excluded board-certified dermatologists from directing moderate- and high-complexity laboratories.

Under the revised CLIA rule, which took effect on Dec. 28, 2024, only physicians certified in anatomic or clinical pathology were recognized as qualified to serve as lab directors based solely on board certification. The Academy led multiple high-level meetings with CMS staff to raise concerns about the policy’s impact, emphasizing that the changes failed to recognize the full scope of board-certified dermatologists’ training and their longstanding involvement in clinical laboratory services.

Learn more about AADA advocacy on this issue.