The annual Economics Forum at ACR 2025 — the American College of Radiology® (ACR®) annual meeting — highlighted recent successes for radiology, including coverage of CT colonoscopy for Medicare patients and new CPT® codes for MRI safety. Moderated by Gregory N. Nicola, MD, FACR, Chair of the ACR Commission on Economics, the forum featured updates by Cindy Yuan, MD, PhD, Chair of the commission’s Economics Committee on Nuclear Medicine, Judy Yee, MD, FACR, Chair of the ACR Colon Cancer Committee, and Heidi A. Edmonson, PhD, FACR, Chair of the ACR Medical Physics Economics Committee.
The session kicked off with an American Medical Association (AMA)/Specialty Society Relative Value Scale Update Committee and CPT update by Dr. Yuan, who noted that one of the many wins was successfully converting cerebral CT perfusion from a temporary (Category III) code to an established (Category 1) code. She also noted significant collaboration with radiology oncology societies that will result in changes to the radiation treatment delivery codes, as well as new superficial radiation therapy codes available in 2026. “This is an example of how to work with other specialties and come to a mutual agreement about how to restructure a code family and codify new CPT codes that can preserve our codes while creating new procedures for physicians in other specialties,” said Dr. Yuan.
Dr. Yuan also provided an update on the
Physician Practice Information Survey, an effort by the AMA to collect data on practice expenses and patient care times and costs.
Dr. Yee highlighted the College’s push to get Medicare coverage of screening CT colonography. “It took more than 15 years of continual effort to achieve Medicare coverage for screening CTC,” she said. This was despite earlier endorsement by the American Cancer Society (2008) and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (2016).
CMS first indicated its intended coverage of screening CTC in July, in the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule and the Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System proposed rules; it was finalized in November. CMS coverage of CTC for colorectal cancer screening started Jan. 1.
Dr. Edmonson addressed new services for reimbursement in radiology without devaluing or risking other established procedures. She said many patients with complex implanted devices are now eligible for magnetic resonance examinations, but it can require a lot of extra work and expertise to perform MR exams when some of these implants are present. With recognition of this additional work, the AMA’s CPT Editorial Panel
approved six new CPT codes under a new heading of
Magnetic Resonance Safety Implant/Foreign Body Procedures — a huge win recognizing the care that many members are providing for complex patients.
“My whole idea for these codes was to try to get MR access to be more available for patients with implanted devices so they didn’t have to travel so far to centers that were providing it,” said Dr. Edmonson.
By Nicole B. Racadag, MSJ, Senior Managing Editor, ACR Press