ACR Committee Meets at ACR 2023 to Address Local Medicare Coverage Policies

The American College of Radiology® (ACR®) Contractor Advisory Committee (CAC) Network, convened at ACR 2023, the College’s annual meeting to reflect on 2022 and discuss items of importance for 2023.

Chaired by Sammy Chu, MD, FACR, and Laeton Pang, MD, FACR, the CAC Network consists of more than 130 appointed representatives and alternates. It identifies, reviews and comments on draft local Medicare coverage determination policies (LCD) and associated billing and coding articles to help identify the best interests of the radiology community and ensure the implementation of appropriate policies.

Meeting attendees discussed local coverage successes and challenges and participated in an open forum to reflect on multijurisdictional CAC meetings and engagement with contractor medical directors during the past year. CAC Network leadership and staff continue to partner with other specialties; as a result, Principles for Sound Local Coverage Policies were developed by the ACR and 18 organizations to strengthen the local coverage determination process and engagement of our members with Medicare contractors.

Meeting participants learned more about the CAC Network activities and accomplishments during the Chapter Leaders Workshop and Economic Forum. The ACR is appreciative of the CAC Network’s dedicated physician, society staff and business manager volunteers for their advocacy for appropriate reimbursement for medically reasonable and necessary services provided to Medicare patients.

If you have questions or would like more information about local coverage policies and activities, contact Alicia Blakey, ACR Principal Economic Policy Analyst, or visit the CAC site.