Washington, D.C. - The Access to Medical Imaging Coalition (AMIC) announced today that it strongly opposes President Trump’s fiscal 2019 budget provision that expands “site neutral” payment policies aimed at reducing Medicare payments for medical imaging services performed in certain hospital outpatient settings.
“Expanding the site neutral policy will impact rural and safety net hospitals, further limiting access to critical services for underserved patients,” said Tim Trysla, executive director of AMIC. “Reimbursing hospital-based facilities at the same rate as physician offices undermines the longstanding principle that those facilities should be reimbursed based on the costs of providing care and the additional regulatory requirements they face.”
AMIC’s members include physicians, patient organizations, and medical imaging equipment manufacturers who have long stressed the importance of identifying policies that safeguard patient access to appropriate medical imaging services.
The Access to Medical Imaging Coalition represents physicians, medical providers, and patient organizations throughout the U.S. It also includes health technology firms that manufacture imaging equipment and supplies and that employ tens of thousands of workers. Thus, AMIC represents those who develop medical imaging technologies, those who apply it, and those who benefit from it.
