The Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services announced in its 2019 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule that radiologist assistants and radiology practitioner assistants can practice with reduced radiologist supervision requirements. However, the rule is only an initial step toward our goal of having RAs/RPAs practice to their fullest capacity. To achieve success, we still need the Medicare Access to Radiology Care Act (MARCA) to pass.

MARCA will make sure that Medicare authorizes the billing of the procedural portion of diagnostic or therapeutic radiology studies by RAs and RPAs when done in the hospital setting or do not fall under the 'incident to' rule in the office setting. We believe that MARCA has the potential to pass in the current legislative session, but we need your help.

Senator Portman is very important to the success of MARCA. Please take a few minutes to email Senator Portman urging him to sponsor MARCA (S. 769). You can use ASRT's Advocacy Action Center and the template we have provided.

Without Medicare's full recognition of the RA/RPA, the profession is in peril. Radiologist assistants are losing their jobs and universities are on the verge of suspending or terminating their educational programs.

We greatly appreciate your participation in this call to action.

Sincerely,

Greg Morrison, M.A. R.T.(R), CNMT, CAE
Associate Executive Director