The Radiology Advocacy Network (RAN), along with close to 12,000 American College of Radiology® (ACR®) advocates, have responded to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ Medicare Reimbursement Cuts with staunch disapproval. This CMS policy change, scheduled to take place Jan. 1, 2021, will significantly and negatively impact every radiologist unless it is prevented, delayed or changed.
Understanding the gravity of the issue and need for timely action, RAN and ACR leadership mobilized advocates and members at-large.
As a result of this robust grassroots campaign, over the last two weeks, Congress has received 16,608 letters asking for legislative intervention to halt the impending 10% Medicare cuts to radiology. The response from ACR members has rendered an above-average 22% engagement rate for this issue, and, our goal is 50%.
Along with traditional forms of communication for this call-to-action, RAN and its advocate leaders have launched a social media blitz to keep this issue front and center on the radiology Twittersphere. With the help of the ACR Social Media Superusers and other advocates, we have reached 118.2K impressions over the span of 28 days.
Though the year is coming to an end, RAN and the ACR government relations team will continue to urge legislators to intervene and support our already strained healthcare workers and ensure continuity of care for our patients.
"This collective effort to delay implementation of large Medicare reimbursement cuts to radiologists and other healthcare providers has been Herculean, requiring creation of new strategies to influence CMS policy. We have been heartened to see more of our members advocating for the interests of their practices and their patients, and hope this trend will continue," said David Youmans, MD, FACR, Member of the ACR Council Steering Committee.