In fact, a study cited by the society, and published online this summer in the Journal of the American College of Radiology, found only modest efficiencies for multiple procedures. The average relative contributions for pre- and post-service work ranged from 20 percent in CT to 33 percent in ultrasound, and the maximum percentage of duplicated pre- and post-serve work goes from 19 percent in nuclear medicine to 24 percent in ultrasound. This translates to, at maximum, professional fee schedule reductions of 2.96 percent in CT to 5.45 in ultrasound, the study said.

Seven cuts in six years

Plus, imaging has received about $5 billion worth of cuts in just over half a decade, according to the ACR.

"Medicare spending on imaging is at 2004 levels and imaging growth is less than 2 percent annually," Dr. John A. Patti, chair of the ACR's Board of Chancellors, said in a statement. "Further cuts would damage access to care for those who need it most."

The fear voiced by radiologists is that further cuts will force freestanding centers to close their doors, leaving imaging mainly in hospitals and thus cutting off patient access.

A sample of recent cuts includes the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, which cut spending on advanced imaging by 19.2 percent in 2007 alone, the ACR said in a letter last month, and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which jacked up the assumed utilization rate to 75 percent, meaning Medicare pays less for the technical component.

CMS' final rules - likely though not necessarily including the proposed multiple procedure cuts - are due next week.

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