As the clinical adoption of digital pathology (DP) and artificial intelligence (AI) accelerates, the absence of a standardized reimbursement pathway remains the primary barrier to widespread adoption. This session, hosted by the Digital Pathology Association (DPA) Reimbursement Task Force, provides an essential annual update on the coordinated efforts to move the needle on payment policy. The presentation will provide a strategic overview of the Task Force’s 2026 accomplishments and advocacy objectives. A featured segment will deep-dive into the DPA’s publication in the Journal of AI in Precision Oncology: "Recommendation Statement for the Validation, Implementation, and Clinical Application of Artificial Intelligence within a Clinical Laboratory." Authors will discuss how these peer-reviewed recommendations will serve as the foundational evidence for the DPA’s plan to submit a request for Local Coverage Determination (LCD) for these solutions.  The session will conclude with a comprehensive briefing on the shifting reimbursement landscape, including updates on AMA CPT coding pathways and DPA advocacy with CMS. Attendees will gain actionable insights into how clinical validation, coding pathways and payer engagement are converging to create a sustainable financial future for digital pathology.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the 2026 strategic priorities of the DPA Reimbursement Task Force and their impact on the digital pathology market
2. Know the key recommendations from the DPA’s peer-reviewed validation paper
3. Gain a better understanding of emerging coding pathways affecting the billing of digital pathology and AI-enabled services