Press Releases
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12.16.11
Access to Medical Imaging Coalition Calls on Congress to Reject Prior Authorization Proposals for Medical Imaging
The Access to Medical Imaging Coalition (AMIC) called on Congress today to reject proposals from the radiology benefits management industry to implement prior authorization for outpatient medical imaging in the Medicare program as a means of controlling costs.
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11.3.11
Access To Medical Imaging Coalition And 21 Groups Call On Congress To Oppose RBMS And Payment Cuts To Medical Imaging Services For Seniors
Washington D.C. – The Access to Medical Imaging Coalition (AMIC), together with 21 patient advocacy and professional organizations, today urged Congress not to adopt a prior authorization policy and further reimbursement cuts for medical imaging services, stating that both policy changes would negatively impact the delivery of life-saving care to nearly 48 million Medicare beneficiaries.
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10.18.11
New Analysis Finds Lack of Cost Savings and Efficacy Data Associated with Prior Authorization
Policy proposals to adopt prior authorization for advanced medical imaging as a means of controlling utilization would not provide meaningful cost savings, according to a new literature review by The Moran Company. The report, released today by the Access to Medical Imaging Coalition (AMIC), evaluated the cost savings of various proposed imaging policies and found that the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) is unlikely to score significant savings for these strategies.
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10.5.11
BCBSA Proposal Threatens Patient Access to Medical Imaging
Washington, D.C. – The Access to Medical Imaging Coalition (AMIC) today called on Congress to reject the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association’s (BCBSA) recommendation that Congress impose prior authorization as a gatekeeper for Medicare beneficiaries seeking to access advanced medical imaging services. AMIC cautioned that prior authorization is an ineffective and unproven mechanism for encouraging appropriate imaging utilization and likely will result in denying seniors’ access to life-saving diagnostic and therapeutic services.
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09.22.11
Administration Proposals Threaten Patient Access to Medical Imaging
The Access to Medical Imaging Coalition (AMIC) today warned that President Obama’s proposals for reimbursement cuts and prior authorization for advanced medical imaging will obstruct seniors’ access to life-saving diagnostic and therapeutic services. The proposals to reduce Medicare reimbursements for CT, MRI and PET services and impose prior authorization requirements were included in the President’s deficit reduction plan.
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09.15.11
Access To Medical Imaging Coalition Applauds Adoption Of National Medical Society-Developed Appropriate Use Criteria By Blue Cross Blue Shield Of Delaware
Washington D.C. – The Access to Medical Imaging Coalition (AMIC) today applauded the decision of the Delaware Insurance Commissioner requiring Blue Cross Blue Shield of Delaware (BCBSD) to adopt the American College of Cardiology’s (ACC) FOCUS program, based on national medical society-developed appropriate use criteria.
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06.15.11
MEDPAC RECOMMENDATIONS THREATEN PATIENT ACCESS TO THE RIGHT SCAN AT THE RIGHT TIME
Washington, D.C. – The Access to Medical Imaging Coalition (AMIC) today said that despite acknowledging that advanced imaging services growth is flat, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission’s (MedPAC) recommendations to reduce reimbursements for CT, MRI and PET services and impose prior authorization requirements will reduce patients’ access to life-saving diagnostic and therapeutic services. AMIC called on Congress to reject the recommendations.
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06.14.11
June AMIC Letter to MedPAC
The Access to Medical Imaging Coalition (AMIC) and the undersigned patient advocates are writing to express our concerns about the ancillary services recommendations, focused on the use of diagnostic imaging services, which MedPAC approved at its April 2011 meeting. As MedPAC’s recommendations have the potential to impact the delivery of care to nearly 48 million Medicare beneficiaries, we urge you to reconsider your recommendations. To implement the recommendations as drafted would further limit access to life-saving diagnostic imaging services while yielding questionable savings for the Medicare program.
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02.9.11
Analysis Shows Quantity of Advanced Imaging Services Declines for First Time in 11 Years
Washington, D.C. – The volume of advanced imaging services delivered to Medicare beneficiaries decreased in 2009 for the first time in 11 years, according to a new analysis by The Moran Company. The study, released today by the Access to Medical Imaging Coalition (AMIC), a coalition of physician, patient and imaging manufacturer groups, found that while the volume of advanced imaging services decreased by .1 percent, the amount of overall imaging services declined by 7.1 percent.
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04.27.10
Study: Medical Imaging Innovation Essential to Improved Cancer Survival
A new study from Dr. Frank Lichtenberg released by the National Bureau of Economic Research, shows that recent improvements in cancer mortality are linked to advanced medical imaging innovation…
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