Proposed bipartisan legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives calls for a moratorium on medical imaging reimbursement cuts that are slated to go into effect in 2007.

The American College of Radiology (ACR) strongly supports the Access to Medicare Imaging Act (HR 5704), calling for a two-year moratorium on the drastic reimbursement cuts included in the Deficit Reduction Act (DRA). HR 5704, introduced by Congressman Joe Pitts (R, Pa.) and cosponsored by more than 40 representatives, both Republican and Democrat, calls for a comprehensive Government Accountability Office (GAO) study to analyze the impact of the DRA payment methodology on patient access, particularly in rural and medically underserved areas.

The DRA, passed by Congress in February, arbitrarily capped the technical component reimbursement for physician office imaging to the lesser of the Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System or Medicare Fee Schedule payment, slashing reimbursement by up to 50 percent for many life-saving technologies, such as CT angiography (CTA) and brain or spine MRI.


"A delay in the implementation of these cuts is essential in order to give Congress a chance to fully understand how cuts of this magnitude could affect Medicare beneficiaries' access to imaging services," said Congressman Pitts.

These drastic cuts may force many physicians to stop offering much needed imaging services or limit the number of Medicare patients they receive. They may also discourage research and development of new imaging technologies that are increasingly replacing more invasive (and more costly) techniques. Medicare beneficiaries, particularly in rural areas, may be forced to endure increased wait and travel times to receive imaging services and higher copayments.

Nancy Davenport-Ennis, a cancer survivor and CEO and president of the National Patient Advocate Foundation reminded members of Congress that imaging saves lives and money. "Lack of access to appropriate imaging can contribute to late diagnosis which in turn can lead to more costly, invasive and intensive treatment. No one wants to undergo invasive surgeries, long-term hospitalizations and loss of independence and functionality because they simply could not get to an imaging facility in a timely manner," said Davenport-Ennis. "But that is the real world effect of these cuts."

"Congress needs to take a closer look at how the arbitrary cuts in the Deficit Reduction Act will adversely affect access to care nationwide. The ACR commends Congressman Pitts and his colleagues in the House. We believe this delay and required GAO study will allow for the creation of a more thoughtful and ultimately more effective approach to these services which will protect access to care and allows doctors to provide the highest quality care to their patients," said Arl Van Moore, Jr, MD, FACR, chair of the ACR Board of Chancellors.

In order to educate Congress and other governmental bodies on the detrimental effects of these cuts, the ACR has joined a broad coalition of patient advocacy groups, medical manufacturers, and providers to form the Access to Medical Imaging Coalition (AMIC). AMIC represents more than 75,000 physicians, providers, and patients, as well as medical imaging manufacturers who employ tens of thousands of workers. We look forward to working with all members on both sides of the aisle to find workable options that balance fiscal common sense with patient access.

For more information regarding the Access to Medicare Imaging Act (HR 5704) and the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, please visit the DRA section of the ACR Web site at http://www.acr.org/rcs/.

To read the text of Access to Medicare Imaging Act (HR 5704) go to http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c109:H.R.5704: