Federal Government Shutdown: Key Updates
Key information and resources for ACR members regarding the October 2025 U.S. federal government shutdown.
Read moreWithin the CY2026 HOPPS/ASC proposed rule, CMS has proposed to indefinitely maintain the voluntary status of the electronic clinical quality measure (eCQM) titled Excessive Radiation Dose or Inadequate Image Quality for Diagnostic CT in Adults. Initially finalized in 2024 for voluntary reporting beginning in 2025, the measure was expected to become mandatory by 2027 under the Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting Program. However, CMS has reconsidered its timeline following substantial public feedback and concerns about infrastructure and resource limitations at hospitals and imaging facilities. The measure intends to monitor CT imaging practices by identifying exams that exceed size-adjusted dose or global noise thresholds. Though CMS states that hospitals and clinicians may use any compliant software to report the measure and are not restricted to specific vendors like Alara Imaging, there remain financial and workflow burdens on hospital radiology departments with outpatient practices and standalone imaging facilities.
ACR supports continuing voluntary reporting for this measure, recognizing the technical and operational challenges it presents. At the same time, ACR remains deeply committed to radiation dose safety and monitoring, as demonstrated through longstanding initiatives such as Image Wisely, Image Gently, and the Dose Index Registry.
While ACR suggests that facilities engage with the measure if feasible, it also acknowledges that implementation may not be practical for all institutions.
Facilities with concerns about the measure are encouraged to submit comments to CMS to ensure their perspectives are considered in future rulemaking. Email comments to CMS staff.
For more information, contact Samantha Shugarman, ACR Director of Quality Programs.
Federal Government Shutdown: Key Updates
Key information and resources for ACR members regarding the October 2025 U.S. federal government shutdown.
Read moreCMS Appears to Lift Majority of Medicare Claims Holds
The most recent update by CMS directs MACs to lift the hold on certain services impacted by select expired Medicare legislative payment provisions.
Read moreUrge Your Representative to Cosponsor ROOT Act Today
ACR urges support for H.R. 5737, the ROOT Act, to fix CMS imaging rules and save Medicare billions. Contact your rep to cosponsor today.
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