MITA Statement on MedPAC Medical Imaging Recommendations

Rosslyn, Va. –  MedPAC continues to rely on out-of-date data to reach inaccurate conclusions regarding the use of life-saving advanced medical imaging services.  Today, while MedPAC finally admitted that imaging utilization is flat, they still approved recommendations to further cut reimbursements to imaging procedures that have experienced significant cuts during the last five years and already face added cuts over the next few years.

Medicare claims data shows that since 2006 payments for imaging procedures are down significantly and the utilization growth is flat. There are real-world consequences to again imposing reimbursement cuts on these procedures – new innovations don’t come to market, patients lose access to life-saving technologies and people lose their jobs as imaging equipment manufacturing is artificially slowed by short-sighted policy.