ACR Leaders Take Radiology's Message to Capitol Hill
More than 400 ACR councilors and residents descended on Capitol Hill April 12 to deliver radiology's views on the pressing need to control the overutilization of imaging services. The Hill visits are a critical part of the College's Annual Meeting and Chapter Leadership Conference. This year, during their meetings with key congressional and senior staff members, ACR members also discussed other critical issues, including medical liability reform and appropriate physician reimbursement.
"You have a magic moment today to make an impression and educate those people on what separates you from the rest of the medical field," ACR Assistant Executive Director Cindy Moran told members before their Hill visits.
Throughout the Hill visits, ACR members cited recent recommendations published by the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC), an independent congressional advisory group on Medicare physician payment issues that supports the ACR's desire for strict standards for those physicians who perform imaging services in an office setting. Both the ACR
and MedPAC maintain that implementing these standards will improve image quality, increase patient safety, and save the Medicare system a significant amount of money.
By all accounts the ACR's message was well-received by lawmakers who have been paying close attention to the exponential rise in the utilization of imaging services in physician offices, especially those imaging services provided by nonradiologists. By the end of the day, ACR members had visited more than 290 congressional offices. More importantly, ACR members met with nearly 70% of the 66 key members of Congress the ACR had identified based on their leadership positions and committee assignments.
And while a specific legislative vehicle to address the College's concerns has not been identified, congressional leaders made it clear that if an appropriate vehicle became available they would be "extremely interested" in pursuing a policy to increase image quality and save Medicare funds.
For more information on the ACR's legislative efforts, please contact Josh Cooper, senior director of government relations, at joshuac@acr.org, or Jay Greissing, assistant director of government relations, at johng@acr.org.