US senators introduce bipartisan bill to boost pay for radiation therapy providers
Members of Congress have introduced a bipartisan bill to boost pay for certain members of the radiation therapy team, drawing praise from the imaging industry.
Sens. Tim Kaine, D-Va., and John Boozman, R-Ark., on Wednesday proposed the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Physicist Pay Cap Relief Act. The legislation would lift caps on compensation for both therapeutic and diagnostic medical physicists, who assist radiation oncologists in delivering cancer care.
Similar workers operating in the private sector earn approximately $40,000 more in pay per year, with physicists earning potential handcuffed by rules limiting their pay when treating service members.
“Our veterans have made tremendous sacrifices and deserve access to world-class, timely healthcare,” Kaine said in a statement Feb. 4. “But arbitrary caps on the pay therapeutic medical physicists and diagnostic medical physicists receive contribute to clinical staffing shortages at VA clinics—delaying patients’ access to crucial cancer treatment.”
The proposal comes after Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Fla., last year introduced the same legislation in the U.S. House. It has drawn support from imaging industry stakeholders including the American Association of Physicists in Medicine and the American Society for Radiation Oncology. Supporters note that medical physicist salaries have increased nationwide as radiation therapy has become more sophisticated and common. Updating pay rules would help the VA to stay competitive when seeking talent, addressing persistent shortages that hinder cancer care.
“Medical physicists are essential members of the clinical care team, helping ensure that imaging and radiation treatments are accurate and safe—especially for patients with cancer,” Robin Miller, president of the AAPM, said in a statement. “Passing this legislation would help ensure veterans receive the highest-quality radiology and radiation oncology care.
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.