American College of Radiology (ACR) Chief Executive Officer Dana Smetherman, MD, has called on lawmakers to stabilize Medicare physician payment and modernize key programs affecting patient care.
Testifying before the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health on May 20, Smetherman argued that Congress must move beyond temporary fixes and establish a stable, predictable framework for physician reimbursement. Smetherman cited ongoing payment volatility under the Medicare physician fee schedule as a major concern for practices trying to maintain access for Medicare patients.
Smetherman also called for passage of the Radiology Outpatient Ordering Transmission Act (H.R. 5737), which would modernize the Appropriate Use Criteria (AUC) program for advanced diagnostic imaging orders. If enacted, the ROOT Act is estimated to save the Medicare program approximately $2 billion over 10 years, with an additional $1.5 billion in savings to Medicare beneficiaries over the same period, according to the ACR.
Smetherman’s written testimony can be found here.
