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On July 15, both houses of Congress garnered the two-thirds majorities needed to override the presidential veto of H.R. 6331, the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008.

On July 15, both houses of Congress garnered the two-thirds majorities needed to override the presidential veto of H.R. 6331, the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008. The House overrode the veto by a margin of 383-41, while the tally in the Senate was 70-26.

The bill repeals the 10.6 per cent physician payment cut called for by Medicare’s Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula that went into effect on July 1. The measure replaces the 10.6 per cent cut as well as a five per cent cut set for Jan. 1, 2009, with a continuation of current rates for the rest of 2008 and a 1.1 per cent update through 2009.

The legislation also calls for providers of advanced diagnostic imaging services (MR, CT, PET, and nuclear medicine) to be accredited in order to receive payment for the technical component of those services. The bill also establishes a two-year voluntary demonstration program to test the use of physician developed Appropriateness Criteria.

“The final passage of this bill is a victory for medicine, radiology and all our patients,” stated James H. Thrall, M.D., FACR, chair of the ACR Board of Chancellors. “Not only did this congressional action end the specter of a 10.6 percent cut for all physicians, it also included the provisions of mandatory accreditation for those who perform advanced imaging services, and an appropriateness criteria pilot program to help physicians prescribe the most appropriate imaging exam. The College advocated strongly for these provisions. On behalf of ACR, I would like to extend a sincere thanks to those House and Senate members who voted to override the veto and support patients and the physicians who treat them.”