II 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 5492 

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for payment 

for services of radiologist assistants under the Medicare program, and 

for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

DECEMBER 11, 2024 

Mr. BOOZMAN (for himself and Mr. LUJA ́N) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance 

A BILL 

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide 

for payment for services of radiologist assistants under 

the Medicare program, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Medicare Access to 

5 Radiology Care Act of 2024’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress makes the following findings: 


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1 (1) Radiologist assistants are advanced-level 

2 radiographers who are critically important members 

3 of the radiologist-led team. 

4 (2) Radiologist assistants work strictly under 

5 the supervision of a radiologist to promote high 

6 standards of patient care by assisting radiologists in 

7 the diagnostic and interventional imaging environ8 ment. 

9 (3) In every jurisdiction authorizing radiologists 

10 assistants to practice, they are only permitted to fur11 nish services when delegated by and under the su12 pervision of a radiologist. 

13 (4) Radiologist assistants value their working 

14 and professional relationships with radiologists and 

15 have never sought, nor do they seek, the ability to 

16 practice independent of radiologists. 

17 (5) While radiologist assistants perform various 

18 valuable professional services and may make and 

19 communicate initial observations to the radiologist, 

20 radiologist assistants are not qualified to perform in21 terpretations (preliminary, final, or otherwise) of any 

22 radiological examination. 

23 (6) Removing barriers to care rendered by radi24 ologist assistants under the supervision of a radiolo25 gist will provide value-based, efficient solutions to 


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1 improve patient outcomes while ensuring patient 

2 safety. 

3 SEC. 3. MEDICARE PAYMENT FOR RADIOLOGIST ASSISTANT 

4 SERVICES. 

5 (a) COVERAGE.—Section 1861 of the Social Security 

6 Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x) is amended— 

7 (1) in subsection (s)(2)(K)— 

8 (A) in clause (ii), by striking the semicolon 

9 at the end and inserting ‘‘, and’’; and 

10 (B) by adding at the end the following new 

11 clause: 

12 ‘‘(iii) radiologist assistant services (as defined 

13 in subsection (nnn)(1));’’; and 

14 (2) by adding at the end the following new sub15 section: 

16 ‘‘(nnn) RADIOLOGIST ASSISTANT SERVICES; RADI17 OLOGIST ASSISTANT.— 

18 ‘‘(1) RADIOLOGIST ASSISTANT SERVICES.—The 

19 term ‘radiologist assistant services’ means— 

20 ‘‘(A) services which would be physicians’ 

21 services if furnished by a physician (as defined 

22 in subsection (r)(1)) and which are performed 

23 by a radiologist assistant (as defined in para24 graph (2)) under the supervision of a radiolo25 gist; 


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1 ‘‘(B) services which the radiologist assist2 ant is legally authorized to perform by the 

3 State in which the services are performed; and 

4 ‘‘(C) such services and supplies furnished 

5 as an incident to such services as would be cov6 ered under subparagraph (A) if furnished inci7 dent to a physician’s professional service, but 

8 only if no facility or other provider charges or 

9 is paid any amounts with respect to the fur10 nishing of such services. 

11 ‘‘(2) RADIOLOGIST ASSISTANT.—The term ‘ra12 diologist assistant’ means a radiographer who is cer13 tified by the American Registry of Radiologic Tech14 nologists as a registered radiologist assistant or by 

15 the Certification Board for Radiology Practitioner 

16 Assistants as a radiology practitioner assistant to 

17 perform radiologist assistant services. 

18 ‘‘(3) RULES OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in 

19 this subsection shall be construed as affecting— 

20 ‘‘(A) coverage of and payment for the tech21 nical component (including the technical compo22 nent of a global fee) with respect to imaging 

23 services under this title as in effect before the 

24 date of the enactment of this subsection; 


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1 ‘‘(B) the amount of payment made for 

2 physicians’ services under this title when fur3 nished solely by a radiologist; or 

4 ‘‘(C) the amount of payment made under 

5 this title for services furnished by a covered fa6 cility setting (as defined in section 

7 1848(a)(10)(B)).’’. 

8 (b) PAYMENT IN RELATION TO PHYSICIAN FEE

9 SCHEDULE.— 

10 (1) PAYMENT LEVEL.—Section 1833(a)(1)(O) 

11 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 

12 1395l(a)(1)(O)) is amended by striking ‘‘or clinical 

13 nurse specialists’’ and inserting ‘‘clinical nurse spe14 cialists, or radiologist assistants’’. 

15 (2) APPLICATION OF FEE SCHEDULE IN HOS16 PITAL, AMBULATORY SURGICAL CENTER SET17 TINGS.—Section 1848(a) of the Social Security Act 

18 (42 U.S.C. 1395w–4(a)) is amended by adding at 

19 the end the following new paragraph: 

20 ‘‘(10) APPLICATION OF FEE SCHEDULE FOR

21 RADIOLOGIST ASSISTANT SERVICES IN HOSPITAL, 

22 AMBULATORY SURGICAL CENTER SETTINGS.— 

23 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—In the case of radiolo24 gist assistant services (as defined in section 

25 1861(nnn)(1)) furnished in a covered facility 


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1 setting (as defined in subparagraph (B)), pay2 ment for such services furnished in such setting 

3 shall be made to the supervising radiologist in 

4 the amount determined pursuant to section 

5 1833(a)(1)(O). 

6 ‘‘(B) COVERED FACILITY SETTING DE7 FINED.—In this paragraph, the term ‘covered 

8 facility setting’ means— 

9 ‘‘(i) a hospital or critical access hos10 pital; 

11 ‘‘(ii) an ambulatory surgical center; 

12 and 

13 ‘‘(iii) such other providers of services 

14 as the Secretary may specify.’’. 

15 (3) PAYMENT TO SUPERVISING RADIOLOGIST.— 

16 Section 1842(b)(6) of the Social Security Act (42 

17 U.S.C. 1395u(b)(6)) is amended in the first sen18 tence— 

19 (A) by striking ‘‘and’’ before ‘‘(J)’’; and 

20 (B) by inserting before the period at the 

21 end the following: ‘‘, and (K) in the case of 

22 services described in section 1861(s)(2)(K)(iii) 

23 (relating to radiologist assistant services), pay24 ment shall be made to the supervising radiolo25 gist’’. 


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1 (c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

2 this section shall apply to services furnished on or after 

3 January 1, 2025. 

Æ 


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