The Access to Medical Imaging Coalition (AMIC) said that the Medicare cuts for advanced imaging reimbursements the Senate passed as part of the package to avoid the fiscal cliff will harm patient access to diagnostic services and drive patients to receive the same services in more expensive hospital settings. “By putting in place yet another payment cut for imaging, Congress has further reduced patient access to vital early diagnosis that we know saves lives,” said Tim Trysla, AMIC’s executive director. Numerous recent studies have demonstrated imaging use per beneficiary and spending has declined. The Medical Imaging & Technology Alliance (MITA) released a report in the fall showing that imaging utilization per Medicare beneficiary declined by 5.1% since 2009 and spending on imaging services for each Medicare beneficiary has dropped 16.7% since 2006. That report was echoed by policy brief from the Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute that shows medical imaging utilization and spending has declined since 2006, while the average length of hospital stay in the United States has increased.
[source: AMIC]
