ACR® CEO Dana H. Smetherman, MD, MPH, MBA, FACR, urged Congress to advance the Radiology Outpatient Ordering Transmission (ROOT) Act (HR 5737) - and other Medicare payment and practice stability improvements - at a May 20 U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health hearing. ROOT Act language modernizes previous Appropriate Use Criteria framework by enabling real-time clinical decision support at the point of care.
The ROOT Act is projected to generate over 10 years approximately $2 billion in savings for the Medicare program, and roughly $1.5 billion in savings to Medicare beneficiaries. These changes would improve patient care by reducing unnecessary testing and copays, creating a more efficient and affordable healthcare system. The ROOT Act is included in a draft bill being circulated that includes an inflationary update, MIPS reform and budget neutrality fixes.
The College provides these related sources for additional information:
If you have questions or for more information, contact Rebecca Spangler, ACR Senior Director of Government Affairs.
Feds Finalize Rule to Improve NSA Dispute Resolution Access
The U.S. Departments of the Treasury, Labor and Health and Human Services released a final rule May 28 that outlines rules related to the federal independent dispute resolution (IDR) process initiated by the No Surprises Act (NSA). ACR® created a preliminary summary of the rule.
Read moreACR Leaders Recognized at CRCPD 2026 Annual Meeting
ACR® recently participated in the National Conference on Radiation Control organized by the Conference on Radiation Control Program Directors (CRCPD).
Read moreGovernment/Econ Leaders Tout Participation at ACR 2026 Lunch
ACR® leaders promoted the importance of member participation during a Listen and Learn lunch at ACR 2026, the College’s annual meeting. ACR Board of Chancellors Vice Chair Gregory N. Nicola, MD, FACR, immediate past Chair of the College’s Commission on Economics, and Joshua Cooper, ACR EVP for Government Relations, held an open mic session focused on #radvocacy.
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