Medicare Access to Radiology Care Act of 2026
Sponsored By: Senator Boozman, John [R-AR]
Introduced
Summary
Allows Medicare to pay for radiologist assistant services. It would define radiologist assistants and their services, require radiologist supervision, and set billing and payment rules under Medicare starting January 1, 2027.
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- Medicare beneficiaries: Could have radiologist assistant services covered when those services are allowed by the State and provided under a supervising radiologist, effective for services furnished on or after Jan 1, 2027.
- Radiologist assistants: Defines RAs as radiographers certified by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists as registered radiologist assistants, making their supervised services eligible for Medicare payment when state law permits.
- Radiologists and facilities: Adds RA services to the Physician Fee Schedule for hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, and similar covered facilities, and requires payment for specified RA services to be made to the supervising radiologist.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Medicare coverage for radiologist assistants
If enacted, Medicare would cover certain radiologist assistant services starting January 1, 2027. These services would be those that would count as physicians' services if done by a physician, performed by a radiologist assistant certified by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists, and allowed by the State. The assistant would have to work under a supervising radiologist, and no other provider (other than the supervising radiologist) could bill for the same service. For services in hospitals, critical access hospitals, and ambulatory surgical centers, Medicare would pay the supervising radiologist under the physician fee schedule. The bill would not change payment for the imaging machine (the technical component) or for services personally performed by a radiologist.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Boozman, John [R-AR]
AR • R
Cosponsors
Sen. Luján, Ben Ray [D-NM]
NM • D
Sponsored 5/21/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov