The Medical Imaging & Technology Alliance (MITA) today issued the following statement from Executive Director Gail Rodriguez in response to the Congressional Budget Office’s (CBO) Estimated Effects on Direct Spending and Revenues for Health Care Programs of Proposals in the President’s 2014 Budget:
“The latest CBO score for prior authorization confirms that use of prior authorization schemes in the Medicare program will not produce any savings for taxpayers. Research shows that relying on prior authorization programs, such as the use of for-profit radiology benefits managers (RBMs), for advanced imaging increases costs and red tape, placing a burden on physicians. These programs also create an artificial barrier for patients in need of care, and can lead to significant delays in treatment or inappropriate denials of coverage.
“Although medical imaging technologies have proven time and again to save lives and lower long-term health care costs, access to this technology continues to be threatened by the re-introduction of harmful proposals, such as prior authorization, and indiscriminate cuts to Medicare reimbursement. Medicare beneficiaries rely on access to medical imaging for early disease detection and to manage treatments for cancers and heart disease. Yet, reimbursements for medical imaging procedures have been slashed 12 times since 2006.
“As an alternative to these dangerous proposals, MITA urges Congress to adopt policies such as appropriateness criteria that encourage appropriate use of imaging.”
