On June 6, the American College of Radiology Association® (ACRA®) Radiology Advocacy Network put out a call-to-action (CTA) to all American College of Radiology® (ACR®) members seeking support in opposition of H.R. 6087, federal legislation that would allow nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) to diagnose, prescribe, treat, and certify an injury and extent of disability for purposes of compensating federal workers under the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act (FECA). The Improving Access to Workers’ Compensation for Injured Federal Workers Act was being fast tracked in the U.S. House of Representatives via a parliamentary process typically reserved for non-controversial legislation.
The CTA resulted in more than 1,300 emails to Congress asking for a “No” vote on H.R. 6087 in a 48-hour timeframe. Despite a large outcry from the physician community, the bill passed the House by a vote of 325–83. At present, there is no companion bill in the Senate, however, the ACR will continue to monitor this bill in Congress and oppose scope of practice expansion that poses a threat to patients and quality care.
If you have questions about legislative alerts or need help in your state with advocacy resources, please contact Melody Ballesteros, Assistant Director, ACR Government Relations. For specific questions on Scope of Practice please contact Joshua Cooper, Vice President, ACR Government Relations.