Bipartisan bill aims to boost Medicare patients’ access to diagnostic imaging agents
Bipartisan members of the U.S. House have introduced legislation aimed at bolstering Medicare beneficiaries’ access to diagnostic imaging agents.
Currently, the federal payment program only reimburses for radiopharmaceuticals through a packaged system. But this can create a “significant barrier” for those who need newer nuclear imaging agents, advocates note.
The Facilitating Innovative Nuclear Diagnostics (FIND) Act of 2023 would eliminate this obstacle by requiring HHS to issue a separate payment for imaging agents, using a per-day cost threshold of $500.
“As a practicing surgeon, I know firsthand how essential accurate testing and imaging diagnostics are—not only when screening for disease but also for evaluating treatment efficiency or monitoring disease progression,” Rep. Greg Murphy, MD, R-N.C., who introduced the bill on Feb. 27 alongside 14 other co-sponsors, said in a statement. “By appropriately paying for newer radiopharmaceuticals, the FIND Act improves access to advanced technology by more closely aligning reimbursement with procedure cost.”
Supporters note that the bill is budget-neutral and would help to improve access to imaging in the early stages of cancer, neurological disorders and cardiovascular disease. Industry trade groups such as the Medical Imaging & Technology Alliance and the Council on Radionuclides and Radiopharmaceuticals expressed their support for the bill this week.
“Passage of the FIND Act will help to ensure that all Medicare beneficiaries have access to these precision diagnostic radiopharmaceutical drugs by addressing a longstanding Medicare reimbursement flaw which currently limits patient access,” Michael J. Guastella, executive director of the council, said March 1.
Members of Congress also have previously introduced versions of the FIND Act, including in 2021. A year ago, numerous organizations—among them, the American College of Radiology and American Society of Neuroradiology—urged congressional committees to hold hearings to consider the legislation.
Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.