For Immediate Release
Contact: Lynne Kuechle
651.681.3125
lynne.kuechle@arrt.org
(Nov. 6, 2018)—On Nov. 1, 2018, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized a regulation as part of its 2019 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule which allows Radiologist Assistants (R.R.A.s, RPAs) to perform diagnostic tests for Medicare patients under a direct level of physician supervision to the extent permitted by state law and state scope of practice regulation. The positive change follows significant advocacy with CMS by radiology stakeholders and will go into effect on January 1, 2019.
Jerry Reid, PhD, Executive Director of the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists, said, “This is a big victory for Medicare patients because it will help to reduce wait times for radiology tests. We commend CMS for reducing the regulatory burden on the radiology care team and for enabling radiologists to perform more complex cases and to concentrate on the final interpretation of images and of RA performed studies.”
ARRT and a coalition of stakeholders has also been advocating for Congressional passage of H.R. 1904 / S. 769, the “Medicare Access to Radiology Care Act of 2017” (MARCA), which would enable RAs to perform diagnostic imaging and interventional radiology procedures under agreed upon levels of radiologist supervision within the RA scope of practice as recognized by states. This legislation was introduced in the House by Reps. Pete Olson [R-TX] and Mike Doyle [D-PA] and in the Senate by Senators John Boozman [R-AR] and Bob Casey [D-PA].
While the final Medicare physician payment rule authorizes RAs to perform diagnostic tests under the direct supervision of a radiologist to the extent permitted by state law and state scope of practice regulation, it does not authorize the billing of the procedural portion of diagnostic or therapeutic radiology studies when done in the hospital setting or do not fall under the ‘incident to’ rule in the office setting. Reid says, “We still need Congress to enact MARCA to enable RAs to practice to the full extent of their training and education. We look forward to working with Congress to enact this much needed legislation.”
The American College of Radiology
Joshua J. Cooper, Senior Director, Government Relations
703-262-9308; jcooper@acr.org
The American Society of Radiologic Technologists
Sal Martino, Chief Executive Officer, CAE, Ed.D., R.T.(R), FASRT
505-298-4500; smartino@asrt.org
The American Registry of Radiologic Technologists
Jerry B. Reid, Ph.D., Executive Director
651-681-3122; jerry.reid@arrt.org
The Society of Radiology Physician Extenders
Victoria Sanders, MSRS, R.R.A., R.T.(R)(CV), President
940-249-0100; vsanders6984@gmail.com