ACR advocacy remains constant amid policy shifts in Washington
The American College of Radiology has been navigating a whirlwind of policy changes in Washington, D.C., with relentless advocacy on issues ranging from Medicare policy to artificial intelligence regulation.
Dana Smetherman, MD, MPH, MBA, CEO of ACR, said the pace of developments under the new administration has kept the organization’s government relations team working “like a 24/7 operation.”
“In just the first six months of this year, we submitted more than 50 comment letters to different branches of government,” Smetherman said. “There’s been activity in every branch—legislative, executive, judicial, regulatory, and we’ve had to be engaged in all of them.”
Key ACR wins in advocacy
Among early victories, ACR secured exemptions for VA radiologists from a federal return-to-office mandate, arguing that forcing on-site work would worsen VA radiologist shortages.
The college also played a role in reinstating National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) physician B Reader Program, which trains and certifies doctors to identify work-related lung disease on radiographs after staffing cuts left it in limbo.
Another major issue was the Supreme Court’s ruling in Kennedy vs. Braidwood Management, which challenged the authority of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. ACR closely tracked the case, and the Court ultimately preserved Affordable Care Act provisions ensuring coverage of preventive services without patient cost sharing.
Policy fronts in AI, Medicare, and workforce challenges
Beyond litigation, ACR has been active in shaping policy on artificial intelligence, Medicare reimbursement, the No Surprises Act, and National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding cuts.
“We view ourselves as the primary advocacy organization for radiology,” Smetherman said, noting the college represents diagnostic and interventional radiologists, nuclear medicine physicists, and radiation oncologists.
One ongoing push is tied to the Protecting Access to Medicare Act (PAMA), which requires clinical decision support tools when ordering advanced imaging. Although implementation has been delayed, ACR is backing the ROOT Act to simplify requirements and remove technical barriers.
“With radiologist shortages and rising exam volumes, this is not just about cost savings anymore, it’s a workforce issue,” Smetherman said.
Collaboration across medicine
Smetherman emphasized ACR’s efforts often involve close collaboration with other medical specialty societies to ensure physicians present a unified voice on complex policies.
“It feels like drinking from a fire hose,” she said, “Luckily, we have a very, very experienced staff who monitors this constantly. They are sending us updates one after another, almost daily as things arise."
Looking ahead, ACR plans to continue pressing lawmakers on Medicare payment reform, state-level scope-of-practice laws, and guardrails for AI in healthcare to ensure that physicians—not algorithms alone—remain responsible for patient care.
"We've definitely been quite busy making sure that we're advocating for radiologists, and as new things pop up ... the staff is right on top of it and responding as needed," Smetherman said.
Dave Fornell has covered healthcare for more than 17 years, with a focus in cardiology and radiology. Fornell is a 5-time winner of a Jesse H. Neal Award, the most prestigious editorial honors in the field of specialized journalism. The wins included best technical content, best use of social media and best COVID-19 coverage. Fornell was also a three-time Neal finalist for best range of work by a single author. He produces more than 100 editorial videos each year, most of them interviews with key opinion leaders in medicine. He also writes technical articles, covers key trends, conducts video hospital site visits, and is very involved with social media. E-mail: [email protected]