The American College of Radiology Council has voted to raise the organization’s membership dues by 10%, ACR confirmed on Wednesday.
Beginning in 2025, active national physician member dues will increase by about $90, with a smaller modification for young rads and medical physicists. This marks the first dues increase for ACR in eight years and comes in response to varying financial factors.
“Despite a significant expansion in member services, the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, rapidly increasing inflation, and the resulting rise in the cost of providing vital services—including legislative, regulatory and economic advocacy—ACR dues have remained unchanged since 2016,” the organization said in a statement shared with Radiology Business April 17. “As the ‘Voice of Radiology’ to lawmakers, regulators and decisionmakers, the ACR has a unique mission and complex scope of operations. This dues adjustment is part of a transparent, ACR-member volunteer-led reevaluation of ACR programs, services and workforce that will continue to empower the ACR ‘To be the voice of our members, empowering them to advance the science and practice of radiological care.’”
The council consists of 380 members, each elected or selected by their ACR chapter, section, medical society, military branch or government agency. Radiology Business was not at the meeting, but a source shared news of the decision on Tuesday following the vote. The individual—who asked to remain anonymous because they are not authorized to speak publicly about the matter—applauded the deliberation process. Council members also mulled the option of keeping dues flat but opted against it.
“There was a very robust and healthy debate, and with leadership essentially staying on the sidelines, a large majority of the council convinced the naysayers of the need to raise dues for the first time in about a decade,” the source told Radiology Business. “It passed by unanimous consent. It was truly a healthy and democratic process,” they added.
The decision comes after ACR also recently reduced its workforce by 11%, including 45 layoffs and leaving 18 open positions unfilled. Council members voted on the increase at the ACR’s annual meeting in Washington.
Founded in 1923, the professional medical society represents over 40,000 diagnostic and interventional radiologists, radiation oncologists, nuclear medicine physicians and medical physicists. A nonprofit with nearly 500 employees, the association has offices in Reston, Va., Washington, D.C., Silver Spring, Md., and Philadelphia, according to its LinkedIn profile.
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.