The 2023 state legislative sessions should prove to be an extremely busy time for state radiological chapters. All 50 states and 3 U.S. territories will be convening, and the American College of Radiology® (ACR®) expects non-physician scope of practice expansion to be introduced in a vast majority of these 53 legislative bodies.
The need for ACR members and state radiological chapters to get involved in the advocacy effort against scope of practice expansion is vital. The National Conference of State Legislatures estimates that less than 5% of state legislators have a healthcare background. This gives radiology and other medical specialties a unique opportunity to educate state legislators about the negative consequences of non-physician scope of practice expansion.
In 2021, the American College of Radiology Association® (ACRA®) established the Scope of Practice (SOP) Fund to safeguard patients and patient access to radiologist expertise by fighting state and federal non-physician scope expansion legislation. The ACRA invites any state radiological chapter to apply for the grant and is asking for completed grant applications to be submitted by Oct. 15.
The ACR has updated its scope of practice micro-website, which features a wide variety of resources for state chapters, including:
- State scope of practice legislation tracked by the ACR.
- Educational requirements of a radiologist and the value of physician-led care.
- ACR communications and sign-on letters.
If you have questions about scope of practice legislation or applying for an ACRA scope of practice grant, contact Eugenia Brandt, ACR Senior Government Affairs Director, or Dillon Harp, ACR Senior State Government Relations Specialist.