The American College of Radiology® (ACR®) state government relations staff is preparing for states to convene their 2023 state legislative sessions and expects that scope of practice expansion will be one of the top healthcare related issues. State radiological chapters should be aware that non-physician specialty groups are devoting a lot of time and resources to introducing legislation in the states that would greatly expand their scope of practice, beyond their teaching and training.
The American Medical Association recently conducted a survey on scope of practice and found that 95% of respondents said it was “important or very important for physicians to be involved in their healthcare diagnosis and treatment decisions.” It is imperative that radiologists speak to their elected officials and their staff about the negative consequences of non-physician scope of practice expansion!
In 2021, the American College of Radiology Association® (ACRA®) established the Scope of Practice (SOP) Fund to safeguard patients and patient access to radiologist expertise by fighting state and federal non-physician scope expansion legislation. The ACRA invites any state radiological chapter to apply for the grant and is asking for completed grant applications to be submitted by Oct. 15.
The ACR has updated its scope of practice micro-website, which features a wide variety of resources for state chapters, including:
- State scope of practice legislation is tracked by the ACR.
- Educational requirements of a radiologist and the value of physician-led care.
- ACR communications and sign-on letters.
If you have questions about scope of practice legislation or applying for an ACRA scope of practice grant, contact Eugenia Brandt, ACR Senior Government Affairs Director, or Dillon Harp, ACR Senior State Government Relations Specialist.