Hearing Held on Whitfield Legislation that Protects Patients During Medical Procedures

Press Release

U.S. Rep. Ed Whitfield, (KY-01), a senior member of the House Subcommittee on Health, spoke during today's subcommittee hearing on legislation he introduced last year, the Consistency, Accuracy, Responsibility and Excellence (CARE) in Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy Act. The bipartisan bill, H.R. 2104, is co-sponsored by Rep. John Barrow (D-GA-12) and 124 other members of the House of Representatives.

This bill will ensure that a patient who undergoes a medical imaging or radiation therapy procedure paid for through Medicare has the service performed by a professional with appropriate education and competency assessment through certification. It will also ensure that taxpayer dollars are only being spent on those procedures performed by qualified individuals.

"I want Medicare patients undergoing medical imaging or radiation therapy treatment to be confident they are being cared for by technicians who are trained and qualified. This legislation will help ensure that happens," Whitfield said. "Today, there are inconsistencies across state regulations when it comes to the basic qualifications these technicians must meet. My legislation will provide national standards technicians must meet before performing these procedures covered by Medicare."

According to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, more than 300 million imaging procedures are performed each year. When medical images are taken by personnel without proper training or certification, the resulting poor images can lead to misdiagnosis, additional testing, delays in treatment, and ultimately cost the health care system millions of dollars. Standards are needed to improve the quality of care and increase patient safety.

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