Home

Cover Story

Table of Contents

E-Newsletter

Article Archive

Editorial Calendar

Datebook

Writers' Guidelines

Orgs/Links

Opinion Polls

Reprints

Forum

Search

July 18 - Congress Overrides President’s Veto of Medicare Legislation

On July 15, both houses of Congress garnered the two thirds majorities needed to override the presidential veto of H.R. 6331, the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008. The House overrode the veto by a margin of 383-41, while the tally in the Senate was 70-26.

The bill repeals the 10.6% physician payment cut called for by Medicare’s Sustainable Growth Rate formula that went into effect on July 1. The measure replaces the 10.6% cut as well as a 5% cut set for Jan. 1, 2009, with a continuation of current rates for the rest of 2008 and a 1.1% update through 2009.

The legislation calls for providers of advanced diagnostic imaging services such as MR, CT, PET, and nuclear medicine to be accredited in order to receive payment for the technical component of those services. The bill also establishes a two-year voluntary demonstration program to test the use of physician developed appropriateness criteria.

“The final passage of this bill is a victory for medicine, radiology, and all our patients,” states James H. Thrall, MD, FACR, the chair of the American College of Radiology Board of Chancellors. “Not only did this congressional action end the specter of a 10.6% cut for all physicians, it also included the provisions of mandatory accreditation for those who perform advanced imaging services and an appropriateness criteria pilot program to help physicians prescribe the most appropriate imaging exam.”

Source: American College of Radiology

(View the Daily News Archive)

Survey

Is teleradiology more of a help or a threat to your facility? Help     Threat     We do not use teleradiology in our facility.     View results