The Medical Imaging & Technology Alliance congratulated CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure on her confirmation Tuesday and wasted no time in asking for help as the field seeks to recover from the pandemic.
MITA addressed a nine-page letter to the new health chief on May 25 following her confirmation by the Senate in a 55-44 vote on the same day. She becomes the first Black woman to lead the trillion-dollar agency.
In the document, the trade association urged Brooks-LaSure to bolster the federal response to COVID-19 and implored her to assist providers as they catch up on care skipped since the public health emergency first started.
“To avoid compounding the access, economic, and innovation challenges that beneficiaries, providers, and medical technology manufacturers have faced during the pandemic … CMS should not implement any new policies that result in additional payment cuts or unnecessary administrative burdens,” MITA Executive Director Patrick Hope wrote in the letter.
Additionally, the organization wants CMS to establish incentives to spur adoption and use of novel AI solutions; ensure appropriate coding, coverage and payment for imaging drugs; and improve rate-setting techniques for outpatient services.
MITA also called on the administration to finalize the recently delayed Medicare Coverage for Innovative Technologies rule for “breakthrough” devices, among other priorities.
Hope again expressed his congratulations and noted the organization will continue to work with CMS on its response to the pandemic while ensuring access to life-saving imaging technologies.
“A strong recovery will promote public health, enable beneficiary access, and support adoption of innovative medical imaging technologies such as artificial intelligence platforms, novel radiotracers, and new scanners for the future,” Hope wrote Tuesday.
You can read the full letter here.
Matt joined Chicago’s TriMed team in 2018 covering all areas of health imaging after two years reporting on the hospital field. He holds a bachelor’s in English from UIC, and enjoys a good cup of coffee and an interesting documentary.