ACR Supports Congressional Opposition to Medicare Lung Cancer Screening Cuts

The American College of Radiology applauds members of the House Ways and Means Committee for standing against planned cuts to Medicare reimbursement for low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) lung cancer screening. This exam is the first and onlycost-effective test proven to significantlyreduce lung cancer deaths. In arecent letter to the Centers for Medicare& Medicaid Services (CMS), Reps. Jim Renacci (R-OH), Dr. Charles Boustany (R-LA), Richie Neal (D-MA) and Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ) expressed opposition to the drastic cuts included in the 2017 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (HOPPS) proposed rule. The congressmen told CMS,“In light of recent policy changes that would expand access to life-saving screening services, we write to specifically raise concern that these proposed reimbursement cuts to screening services will only serve to undermine the recent progress…[we] respectfully request that CMS reconsider these proposed cuts.” These concerns echoed those of the ACR and more than 80 patient advocacy groups, medical associations and health care systems whorecently warned CMS that proposed cuts to reimbursement for LDCT shared decision making sessions and LDCT scans of 64 and 44 percent, respectively, may scuttle recently established screening programs and deter local providers from starting screening programs.“As Medicare and the health care delivery system place greater emphasis on preventive medicine and population screening in or...
Source: American College of Radiology - Category: Radiology Source Type: news