March 23, 2017 -- Washington, D.C. – The Medical Imaging & Technology Alliance (MITA) today said the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission’s (MedPAC) “March 2017 Report to the Congress on Medicare Payment Policy” continues to recycle past statements about the utilization of advanced medical imaging services without providing any new data or evidence substantiating their claims regarding its volume of use.

“The latest MedPAC report fails to take into account the many new advances in imaging technologies that, when used appropriately, are proven to help prevent costly, invasive procedures down the road,” said Patrick Hope, executive director of MITA. “Rather than again pursuing arbitrary cuts to reimbursement for these procedures, an evidence-based approach rooted in appropriate use criteria (AUC) is the best policy solution to guide utilization and ensure optimal results for patients. MedPAC needs to be urging CMS to implement the AUC policy on January 1, 2018, without further delay.”

The 2017 report includes a review of medical imaging services delivered in both hospital and independent physician settings, but puts forth an incomplete assessment of imaging utilization, using old data and old methodologies. In particular, it points to growth in hospital outpatient prospective payment system (HOPPS) services resulting from an incentive to shift patients to higher cost sites of care, and reiterates a 2015 recommendation for hospital outpatient site-neutral payments. Additionally, the report mistakenly notes growth in the overall utilization of medical imaging— in reality, imaging services have grown more slowly than other services since 2010.

Congress and the Administration have cut Medicare reimbursements for medical imaging 15 times since 2006, with payments for some services being reduced by over 60 percent, including bone density screenings, arm and leg artery x-rays, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain. These cuts have undercut the benefits of early detection, making it harder for doctors to provide these life-saving technologies.

As an alternative to further indiscriminate reimbursement cuts, and to enhance patient safety by preventing exposure to unnecessary radiation, MITA has long advocated for the implementation of physician-developed AUC to guide decision-making. A number of studies have confirmed the value of AUC to drive appropriate usage of medical imaging. For example, one study from the Cleveland Clinic demonstrated how incorporating single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) appropriate use criteria into electronic medical records (EMRs) helped a group of primary care physicians and cardiologists determine when to order specific imaging tests.


The Medical Imaging & Technology Alliance (MITA), a division of NEMA, is the collective voice of medical imaging equipment, radiation therapy and radiopharmaceutical manufacturers, innovators and product developers. It represents companies whose sales comprise more than 90 percent of the global market for advanced medical imaging technology. For more information, visit www.medicalimaging.org. Follow MITA on Twitter @MITAToday.

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