The Medical Imaging and Technology Alliance (MITA) said that Medicare spending on medical imaging continues to decline and Medicare patients are receiving fewer imaging procedures.
MITA released a new analysis that it said refutes the assumption that diagnostic imaging and radiation therapy are leading to increased healthcare costs. The organization found that imaging services spending has dipped 13.2% for each Medicare beneficiary since 2006, when imaging-specific reimbursement cuts were implemented as part of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005. Imaging utilization per beneficiary also dropped 3% in 2010.
Meanwhile, nonimaging spending per Medicare beneficiary has increased 20% since 2006, and utilization increased 2% in 2010, MITA said. The analysis also found that imaging is now a smaller portion of Medicare spending than it was at the turn of the century, according to the organization.
It is vital that policymakers use current data and research about imaging spending and utilization when making budget decisions that will affect patient access and quality of care, MITA said.
