Prevent Imaging Cuts: Message from the ACR - Call Your Senator TODAY and Urge Them to Oppose More Imaging Cuts

The pending Senate Finance Committee health reform legislation is expected to contain deep cuts to medical imaging via a change to the practice expense imaging equipment utilization rate assumption for MR and CT from 50 percent to 95 percent. MR and CT procedures will be cut anywhere between 5 percent and 40 percent, in addition to the cuts already put in place by the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005.

Please call both of your Senators and ask that they oppose these drastic reductions. Urge your Senators to register their support for common sense imaging utilization policies that promote clinical guidelines and to oppose arbitrary reimbursement cuts by signing on to a letter being circulated by Senator Herb Kohl (D-WI) and Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT).

Call your Senator’s office TODAY! Tell the person who answers the phone who you are, where you live, and that you are a constituent. Then, ask to speak with the Health Legislative Assistant (also known as the Health LA). Once you are transferred to the Health LA, please relay the following message:

Talking Points

The Senate Finance Committee’s reform package will likely contain a steep arbitrary payment reduction for imaging services via a change in the payment formula for imaging without good data to justify such a change.

These cuts may be up to 40 percent on top of the drastic cuts contained in the DRA depending on the procedure
If these cuts go through, the ability of my practice to continue to provide these outpatient services will be compromised and patients will be forced back into the hospital setting.

Please sign on to a letter being circulated by Senators Kohl and Hatch to the Finance Chair and Ranking Member expressing concern for the cuts and support for alternative common sense imaging policies such as adherence to appropriateness criteria.

The deadline for Senators to sign on is THIS FRIDAY, June 19, 2009