Medicare Access to Radiology Care Act of 2026

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4624 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 4624

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

                              May 21, 2026

Mr. Boozman (for himself and Mr. Lujan) 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.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Medicare Access to Radiology Care
Act of 2026''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) Radiologist assistants are advanced-level radiographers
        who are critically important members of the radiologist-led
        team.
            (2) Radiologist assistants work strictly under the
        supervision of a radiologist to promote high standards of
        patient care by assisting radiologists in the diagnostic and
        interventional imaging environment.
            (3) In every jurisdiction authorizing radiologist
        assistants to practice, they are only permitted to furnish
        services when delegated by and under the supervision of a
        radiologist.
            (4) Radiologist assistants value their working and
        professional relationships with radiologists and have never
        sought, nor do they seek, the ability to practice independent
        of radiologists.
            (5) While radiologist assistants perform various valuable
        professional services and may make and communicate initial
        observations to the radiologist, radiologist assistants are not
        qualified to perform interpretations (preliminary, final, or
        otherwise) of any radiological examination.
            (6) Removing barriers to care rendered by radiologist
        assistants under the supervision of a radiologist will provide
        value-based, efficient solutions to improve patient outcomes
        while ensuring patient safety.

SEC. 3. MEDICARE PAYMENT FOR RADIOLOGIST ASSISTANT SERVICES.

    (a) Coverage.--Section 1861 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.
1395x) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (s)(2)(K)--
                    (A) in clause (ii), by striking the semicolon at
                the end and inserting ``, and''; and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following new clause:
            ``(iii) radiologist assistant services (as defined in
        subsection (ooo)(1));''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(ooo) Radiologist Assistant Services; Radiologist Assistant.--
            ``(1) Radiologist assistant services.--The term
        `radiologist assistant services' means--
                    ``(A) services which would be physicians' services
                if furnished by a physician (as defined in subsection
                (r)(1)) and which are performed by a radiologist
                assistant (as defined in paragraph (2)) under the
                supervision of a radiologist;
                    ``(B) services which the radiologist assistant is
                legally authorized to perform by the State in which the
                services are performed; and
                    ``(C) services in which no other provider (other
                than the supervising radiologist) charges or is paid
                any amount with respect to the furnishing of such
                services.
            ``(2) Radiologist assistant.--The term `radiologist
        assistant' means a radiographer who is certified by the
        American Registry of Radiologic Technologists as a registered
        radiologist assistant to perform radiologist assistant
        services.
            ``(3) Rules of construction.--Nothing in this subsection
        shall be construed as affecting--
                    ``(A) coverage of and payment for the technical
                component (including the technical component of a
                global fee) with respect to imaging services under this
                title as in effect before the date of the enactment of
                this subsection;
                    ``(B) the amount of payment made for physicians'
                services under this title when such services are
                personally performed by a radiologist; or
                    ``(C) the amount of payment made under this title
                for services furnished by a covered facility setting
                (as defined in section 1848(a)(10)(B)).''.
    (b) Payment in Relation to Physician Fee Schedule.--
            (1) Payment level.--Section 1833(a)(1)(O) of the Social
        Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395l(a)(1)(O)) is amended by striking
        ``or clinical nurse specialists'' and inserting ``clinical
        nurse specialists, or in the case of services provided in a
        covered facility setting (as defined in section
        1848(a)(10)(B)), radiologist assistants''.
            (2) Application of fee schedule in hospital, ambulatory
        surgical center settings.--Section 1848(a) of the Social
        Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w-4(a)) is amended by adding at the
        end the following new paragraph:
            ``(10) Application of fee schedule for radiologist
        assistant services in hospital, ambulatory surgical center
        settings.--
                    ``(A) In general.--In the case of radiologist
                assistant services (as defined in section 1861(ooo)(1))
                furnished in a covered facility setting (as defined in
                subparagraph (B)), payment for such services furnished
                in such setting shall be made to the supervising
                radiologist in the amount determined pursuant to
                section 1833(a)(1)(O).
                    ``(B) Covered facility setting defined.--In this
                paragraph, the term `covered facility setting' means--
                            ``(i) a hospital or critical access
                        hospital;
                            ``(ii) an ambulatory surgical center; and
                            ``(iii) such other providers of services as
                        the Secretary may specify.''.
            (3) Payment to supervising radiologist.--Section 1842(b)(6)
        of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395u(b)(6)) is amended
        in the first sentence--
                    (A) by striking ``and'' before ``(J)''; and
                    (B) by inserting before the period at the end the
                following: ``, and (K) in the case of services
                described in section 1861(s)(2)(K)(iii) (relating to
                radiologist assistant services), payment shall be made
                to the supervising radiologist''.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall
apply to services furnished on or after January 1, 2027.
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