Government

Physician groups blast Medicare imaging cuts

NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted March 20, 2006

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A group of organizations representing more than 75,000 physicians called on Congress to repeal recently approved Medicare cuts to medical imaging services that will take effect in 2007.

The groups, including the American College of Radiology, the National Coalition for Quality Diagnostic Imaging Services and U.S. Oncology, wrote a letter to congressional leaders warning that the cuts would lead to access problems for patients. Under the reduction plan, Medicare will pay physicians the outpatient hospital rate for most types of imaging services when that rate is lower than what doctors would receive under their fee schedule.

The organizations said lawmakers, who inserted the language during final negotiations on a deficit reduction package passed last month, did not spend enough time considering the possible adverse effects of this move.

"We are particularly concerned that these cuts were included without any public deliberation by either body of the Congress," the letter states. "There has been no analysis of the potential impact of this change in payment policy, and we fear that these cuts will have numerous unintended consequences, including potentially diminishing access to imaging services outside the hospital setting."

Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2006/03/20/gvbf0320.htm.

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