Endocrine Insider
February 21, 2007

Representatives Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY), Joe Pitts (R-PA), and Gene Green (D-TX) plan to introduce the “Access to Medicare Imaging Act of 2007” during the week of February 26. The bill, identical to a bill introduced in the 109th Congress that was co-sponsored by 140 representatives on both sides of the aisle, calls for a two-year moratorium on the implementation of the imaging cuts and requires a comprehensive GAO study on patient access and service issues. The Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (DRA) imaging cuts reduce all physician office and clinic reimbursement rates for imaging services to the rates paid to hospital outpatient departments. As a result of these cuts and the change in practice expense methodology, DXA payments are expected to drop from $140 in 2006 to approximately $40 by 2010. These imaging cuts may seriously impact the ability of physicians to provide critical imaging services in their offices, placing millions of seniors at risk of losing access to these services. The sponsors of the bill have sent out a “Dear Colleague” letter to all cosponsors of HR 5704 from the 109th Congress in an effort to secure bipartisan support for the new legislation. The Endocrine Society has sent a letter of support for the legislation to Representative McCarthy’s office, and will continue to be active in various coalitions focused on stopping the DRA imaging cuts.