ACR Protests Proposed Diagnostic Mammography Reimbursement Rates

RESTON, Virginia—In a statement, the American College of Radiology (ACR) said that the proposal by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to cut the ambulatory patient classification (APC) payment rate to hospitals for diagnostic mammography creates "serious concern about women’s future access to this life-saving technology." 

The proposed 2002 reimbursement rate of $32.54 for the technical component of the procedure represents a drop of approximately 6.5% from the 2001 rate.