Imaging Stakeholders Can Stop By The ACR Booth To Tell their Member Of Congress To Support The Diagnostic Imaging Services Protection Act
In the ACR Booth (#4623) at the RSNA meeting in Chicago, The College will offer dedicated iPads where imaging stakeholders can tell their Member of Congress to cosponsor H.R. 3269, The Diagnostic Imaging Services Protection Act. Attendees can just enter their zip code and either thank their congressman for their support or tell them to get on board with H.R. 3269 with a click of a button.
To date, a bi-partisan group of more than 80 congressional leaders, including Reps. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) and Joe Wilson (R-S.C.), have joined together to co-sponsor HR-3269 that prevents CMS’ multiple procedure payment reduction (MPPR) for radiologists from taking effect in January. If it were to go into effect, the MPPR would impose a 25 percent payment reduction to the professional interpretation of advanced diagnostic imaging services for multiple imaging studies administered to the same patient, by physicians in the same practice setting, on the same day.
This cut affects care for the most ill and most badly injured patients that doctors see – such as those with massive trauma, cancer patients and those with other serious illnesses. This bad faith action by Medicare is medically unsupported and undercuts radiologists’ moral and professional obligation to expend an equal amount of time, effort, and skill on interpreting images, irrespective of whether or not previous examinations have been performed on the same day. The MPPR would be the eighth Medicare reimbursement cut for the imaging community in just six years.
Sponsored by Reps. Pete Olson (R-Texas) and Betty McCollum (D-Minn.), HR-3269 echoes Americans’ concerns about Medicare cuts to radiology. A national poll of 1,000 registered voters, conducted over a two week period this summer found that 70 percent oppose any Medicare cuts to imaging services and 90 percent believe that imaging cuts will have an impact on early detection of medical conditions and diseases.
All are invited to stop by the ACR Booth (#4623) and tell their Member of Congress to protect patient access to diagnostic imaging!
