Contact: Ceela McElveny, ASRT, 800-444-2778, Ext. 1239

Coy Knobel, Sen. Michael Enzi’s Office, 202-224-3424

Jim Manley, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy’s Office, 202-224-2633

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senators Michael Enzi, R-Wyo., and Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., on June 5 introduced a bill in the U.S. Senate that would improve the quality of the nation’s radiologic examinations by increasing the educational standards for personnel who perform them.

The Consumer Assurance of Radiologic Excellence bill, or RadCARE bill, directs the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish minimum educational and credentialing standards for personnel who plan and deliver radiation therapy and perform all types of diagnostic imaging procedures except medical ultrasound.

Under current law, basic training standards are voluntary in some states, which allows individuals to perform radiologic procedures without any formal education and sometimes after only a few weeks of on-the-job training.

The bill would amend the Consumer-Patient Radiation Health and Safety Act, a 1981 law that established federal minimum standards for the education and credentialing of radiologic technologists. Sen. Kennedy was one of the original cosponsors of the 1981 bill. When it was signed into law by President Ronald Reagan, compliance by the states was made voluntary rather than mandatory. As a result of this federal initiative, 37 states have enacted full licensure laws or regulations for radiographers, 29 states have enacted licensure laws for radiation therapists, and 23 states have enacted licensure laws for nuclear medicine technologists. In states without regulations, individuals are permitted to perform radiologic procedures without any formal education.

“The RadCARE bill would improve the quality of patient care by ensuring that personnel who perform radiologic exams and procedures are well-trained, and the legislation also would protect taxpayer money by limiting Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement only to facilities whose personnel are properly qualified,” said Sen. Enzi. “The measure also would allow for alternative standards if the minimum federal standard isn’t working for rural areas.”

According to Sen. Kennedy, passage of the RadCARE bill will improve the overall quality of American health care. “It will mean higher quality images, improved accuracy and less exposure to radiation,” he said. “No matter how expensive or sophisticated the equipment, an imaging exam won’t reveal a broken bone or a diseased organ if the person who is using that equipment doesn’t know the basics of radiographic positioning, exposure and technique.”

The American Society of Radiologic Technologists and its 104,000 members worked with Sens. Enzi and Kennedy to introduce the bill. Other original cosponsors of the bill are Sens. Tom Daschle, D-S.D.; Byron Dorgan, D-N.D.; and Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J.

“Every year, seven out of 10 Americans undergo some type of radiologic examination,” said Donna Newman, B.A., R.T.(R), CNMT, president of the ASRT. “The RadCARE bill will help ensure that those examinations are performed by people who are trained, qualified and competent.”

Rep. Heather Wilson, R-N.M., introduced a similar bill last month in the House of Representatives. The House version of the bill, H.R. 1214, has more than 25 bipartisan cosponsors. The House bill has a slightly different title – it is known as the CARE bill, without the “Rad” prefix.

In addition to the ASRT, the RadCARE bill also is backed by the Alliance for Quality Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy, a coalition of radiologic science organizations that represents more than 275,000 health care professionals. The bill also has support from a number of patient groups and health care organizations, including the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association’s Council on Cardiovascular Radiology, the Cancer Research Foundation of America, the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology and the American College of Radiology.

The Public Relations Chair is vacant. Please contact Heather Brown if interested.

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