The American College of Radiology is urging for “swift congressional action” to address the inadequate supply of radiologists in the U.S.
ACR voiced its concern in comments recently submitted to the Senate Finance Committee, which held an April hearing on physician payment reform. The college highlighted the “continued downward spiral” of the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, with annual cuts contributing to the deficit of available providers.
By 2036, the American Association of Medical Colleges is projecting a shortfall of up to 86,000 physicians, ACR noted.
“This is extremely concerning, especially considering an aging population that has benefited from diagnostic imaging technological advances that have enabled patients to live longer with chronic conditions,” Executive Vice President Cynthia R. Moran said in a statement, which ACR shared in a May 2 news update. “Although many patients do not have a face-to-face encounter with their radiologist, radiologists care for more Medicare beneficiaries per year than any other physician, which indicates radiology’s prominent role in patient care. As a result, the demand for imaging services continues to rise and the supply of radiologists is increasingly unable to meet that demand.”
Moran urged Congress to take action to increase the current and future supply of radiologists. She highlighted three previously proposed bills that could aid in this effort, including:
- Conrad State 30 and Physician Access Reauthorization Act: Reintroduced in March 2023, S.665 would allow international doctors to remain in the U.S. upon completing their residency under the condition that they practice in areas experiencing physician shortages.
- Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act: Proposed in November, S.3211 would recapture 15,000 unused immigrant visas for physicians that Congress has previously authorized, providing a boost to areas facing shortages.
- Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act: Reintroduced in April 2023, S.1302 would lift the cap on the number of Medicare-funded graduate medical education positions and gradually raise the total tally by 14,000 over the next seven years.
Moran also urged Congress to revive the shelved Appropriate Use Criteria program, requiring providers to consult a decision aid before ordering advanced imaging. ACR believes such value-based care initiatives will help reduce the trio of unnecessary examinations, Medicare spending, and radiologists’ workload.
“In order to move forward with AUC implementation, the ACR has proposed significant administrative simplification language to the Senate Finance Committee,” she wrote. “We urge the swift adoption of the revised, updated legislative text to provide CMS with the statutory changes needed to implement the AUC program.”
“We are encouraged that Congress is recognizing the need for substantive Medicare physician payment reform and look forward to future discussions,” Moran added later.
You can read the full statement shared with the Finance Committee here, and find our coverage of the April 11 hearing here.
Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.