ASNC Speaks to Policymakers About Prior Authorization, Medicare Cuts and More

Why It Matters

These policy positions affect reimbursement, access to cardiac imaging, and the ability of hospitals to staff specialized services, shaping the broader U.S. healthcare delivery landscape. Legislative outcomes will directly influence cost transparency, provider viability, and patient outcomes nationwide.

Key Takeaways

• ASNC met 66 congressional offices during second annual Hill Day.
• Supports Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act to streamline prior authorizations.
• Opposes ROOT Act, citing added administrative complexity for cardiology imaging.
• Warns Medicare fee schedule cuts could create care deserts in underserved areas.
• Calls for H‑1B visa fee exemption to address nuclear cardiology workforce shortages.

Pulse Analysis

Congressional outreach by the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology underscores the growing frustration among specialists over prior‑authorization bottlenecks. The Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act, which ASNC champions, would codify current CMS rules, add transparency to approval workflows, and reduce delays for high‑risk cardiac imaging studies. By meeting with 66 offices, ASNC signals broad legislative support and hopes to embed these reforms into Medicare Advantage contracts. At the same time, the society’s rejection of the ROOT Act reflects a belief that one‑size‑fits‑all software solutions could undermine cardiology‑specific appropriateness criteria, adding unnecessary administrative layers.

Medicare physician reimbursement remains a flashpoint, as ASNC joins other groups in urging Congress to halt a proposed 2.5 % efficiency adjustment tied to the 2026 fee schedule. The organization also highlights the antiquated $20 million budget‑neutrality trigger, which has not been adjusted for inflation since the 1980s, effectively eroding real‑term payments by more than 30 % over two decades. Continued cuts risk turning profitable imaging centers into financial liabilities, especially in rural markets where specialist scarcity already limits patient access, potentially creating “care deserts” across the country.

Beyond payment policy, ASNC is pressing for workforce relief through the H‑1B Visa for Physicians and Healthcare Workforce Act, which would waive a new $100,000 petition fee that many institutions deem prohibitive. The shortage of nuclear technologists, sonographers, and cardiology fellows threatens the capacity to deliver timely diagnostic services. While the Society supports price‑transparency goals, it opposes the Patients Deserve Price Tags Act, arguing that mandating granular cost data for hundreds of plan variations would shift an undue compliance burden onto imaging providers. A balanced approach could improve patient cost awareness without compromising operational efficiency.