Lack of evidence about the need, impact of the cuts points to value of 2-year delay and GAO study
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Robin Strongin, 703-516-7382
Ron Geigle, 703-516-7382
Washington, DC - July 18, 2006 - The Access to Medical Imaging Coalition (AMIC) said today that the bi-partisan concerns expressed by Members of Congress at today's hearing of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health show that the DRA-'05 reductions in payment for imaging services should be better understood before they go into effect.
"Even though today's hearing was not focused on DRA-'05 imaging payment reductions, Members of Congress repeatedly expressed concern over how the DRA cuts will affect patients, including those in rural and medically underserved areas," said Tim Trysla, Executive Director of AMIC-a broad coalition of physicians, patients, and providers working to delay $8 billion of imaging payment reductions included in the 2005 Deficit Reduction Act. Trysla said he was pleased that many of the Representatives on the panel urged passage of H.R. 5704, a bill introduced by Rep. Joe Pitts and more than 50 other Members of Congress calling for a 2-year moratorium on the DRA cuts while the Government Accountability Office analyzes the impact on patients.
In response to questions from the Subcommittee, MedPAC Chairman Glenn Hackbarth said that MedPAC had not proposed the DRA cuts and has not evaluated the potential impact of the cuts on growth in utilization of imaging or on patients. Herb Kuhn, CMS Director of Medicare Management, also said that CMS had not proposed the DRA cuts and had not yet evaluated their potential impact on patients. He said that the agency would take the potential impact on patient access into account when developing regulations to implement the DRA reductions.
In response to questions and comments by several members of the Subcommittee about the important role imaging plays in substituting for more invasive and costly procedures, Kuhn admitted that CMS had not yet conducted a detailed analysis of offsetting savings and efficiencies brought about by such substitution.
For more information about AMIC, visit www.imagingaccess.org.