House Passes Budget Reconciliation Bill/Health Subcommittee Hearing to be held on Medicare Reimbursement Cuts for Imaging Services

On February 2, the House passed the Budget Reconciliation Bill (also called the Deficit Reduction Act) by a close vote of 216-214 largely along party lines, with 430 out of 435 Representatives voting. This contrasts with the 212-206 vote, with 418 Representatives voting, on the original House bill that was passed on 12/19/05. While 8 more votes were cast against the bill this time, unfortunately 4 more votes were cast in favor of the bill, enough to pass the bill by 2 votes. The President is expected to sign the bill soon.

However, as a result of the efforts of SVU, along with the dedicated efforts of Bill Sarraille and Patrick Morrisey of Sidley Austin and some SVU members who have strong personal contacts with some key Members of Congress, the House Committee on Energy & Commerce's Subcommittee on Health has agreed to hold a hearing on imaging reimbursement payments under Medicare as outlined in the DRA, well before the proposed Medicare reimbursement changes go into effect on Jan. 1, 2007. This is a promising response to SVU's concerns about the proposed severe reimbursement cuts for several vascular ultrasound studies. SVU will request an opportunity to testify at this Health Subcommittee hearing and articulate our position that the proposed 30-50% reimbursement cuts for ultrasound studies will hurt both vascular ultrasound providers in independent labs and in physician offices, and also impact patients who will face lower quality in vascular services and less access. Hospital-based vascular labs also will be impacted by having to pick-up many additional vascular ultrasound patients, putting a significant strain on most hospitals. The date of the Health Subcommittee hearing has not yet been set.

In addition, SVU and SDMS will meet soon with representatives of the Medical Payment Advisory Committee ("MedPAC"), an independent government agency that advises Congress on Medicare issues, on whether this new Act is good policy for Medicare beneficiaries and if subsequent legislative refinement provisions can be recommended to Congress.

SVU and SDMS also hope to meet soon with CMS on looking at the HOPD rates for vascular ultrasound and try to minimize the difference between the Physician Fee Schedule rates and the HOPD rates.

Prior to the House Energy and Commerce's Subcommittee on Health hearing, SVU will contact SVU members who are constituents of Representatives on the Health Subcommittee, inviting them to share with their Members of Congress our message created by Bill Sarraille . This message will urge Congress to either eliminate or significantly reduce the proposed Medicare reimbursement cuts on vascular ultrasound services. If you or a colleague you know has a personal or extended relationship with a Member of Congress, please let us know.

We believe we have put in place a good strategy for defending the profession from this devastating reimbursement cut blow, but we will need your help in a variety of ways. Therefore, we ask that you continue to follow this issue closely on the SVU website (www.svunet.org). Undoubtedly, this SVU government relations advocacy effort over the next 11 months with Congress and CMS is going to take time and cost a significant amount of money. The SVU Board of Directors urges its members to consider making an additional voluntary contribution to SVU's Government Relations Fund if you have not yet done so. Thank you.

Bill Schroedter, BA RVT FSVU
Chair, Government Relations Committee