Tell Congress “Enough is Enough” – No More Cuts to Imaging!!!

A message from the ACR. Dear Radiologist, Please call your Senators’ offices in Washington, D.C. through the ACR’s Political Action Network at 1-800-327-5423, to tell them “NO MORE CUTS TO IMAGING.” Call the ACR’s Political Action Network 800# between 9:00am – 6:00pm EST in order for your call to be received by a staff person in their office. If the line is busy or rings more than 4 times, you will be automatically transferred to your other Senator’s office. When you call the ACR’s Political Action Network a voice-automated system will provide you with instructions before connecting you to the Senate offices. The system will match you with your Senate offices based on your HOME zip code. When you are connected to the Senate offices, please tell the person who answers the phone who you are, where you live and practice, and that you are a constituent. Then, ask to speak with the Health Legislative Assistant (also known as the Health LA); and relay the following message: “The Senate Finance Committee is considering raising the utilization assumption rate from 50% to 90% for all imaging equipment costing more than $1 million. A 90% utilization rate would result in a 40% reimbursement cut for CT and MRI, on top of an average 23% hit resulting from imaging cuts in the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (DRA). If fully promulgated, CMS’ latest proposed Physician Fee Schedule Rule would add a minimum average of 11% reduction for all imaging services. The proposed assumption rate increase in the Senate is not based on statistically significant data and is based purely on garnering savings for Medicare without regard to the impact on patient access. Enough is enough! We are asking for no more imaging cuts in the Senate’s healthcare reform proposal!” Please visit www.acr.org for more information and legislative updates which will help you further educate your Members of Congress on the urgent need to protect patient access to imaging care. Thank you for participating in this very important advocacy effort. For questions, please contact ACR Senior Director of Government Relations Josh Cooper at jcooper@acr-arrs.org.