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HR9984119th CongressWALLET
Medicare Access to Radiology Care Act of 2026
Sponsored By: Representative Joyce, John [R-PA-13]
Introduced
Summary
Medicare payment for radiologist assistant services would be created to let certain advanced radiographers be paid when they perform services under a supervising radiologist and to set how those payments flow in hospital and ambulatory surgical settings. The bill defines who counts as a radiologist assistant and preserves existing payments for imaging equipment and for services performed personally by radiologists.
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- Patients and families: Would aim to improve access and speed of diagnostic and interventional imaging by allowing supervised radiologist assistants to perform tasks that support radiologists and remove care barriers.
- Radiologist assistants and radiologists: Would define a radiologist assistant as a radiographer certified by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists and make clear they work under radiologist supervision and are not qualified to provide final interpretations.
- Hospitals and Medicare billing: Would apply the physician fee schedule to radiologist assistant services in hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, and similar facilities and require payment be made to the supervising radiologist in those settings.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
1 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
Medicare rules for radiologist assistants
This bill would let Medicare recognize "radiologist assistants" starting January 1, 2027. These assistants would be certified by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists and may only furnish services when delegated by and under the supervision of a radiologist, and only if state law allows. The bill would not change payment for the technical part of imaging or for services a radiologist personally performs. In hospitals, critical access hospitals, and ambulatory surgical centers, Medicare would pay for those assistant services under the physician fee schedule and make payment to the supervising radiologist rather than to the assistant.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Joyce, John [R-PA-13]
PA • R
Cosponsors
Rep. Thompson, Mike [D-CA-4]
CA • D
Sponsored 7/30/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov