February 5, 2008 - The Medical Imaging & Technology Alliance (MITA), a division of NEMA, said today that the budget President Bush presented to Congress is an important step toward restoring seniors access to life-saving diagnostic and therapeutic medical imaging services.
"We are pleased that in a budget that reduces Medicare spending, the administration chose not to propose further cuts to this critical component of high quality care," said Andrew Whitman, vice president, MITA. "As this year's budget process progresses, MITA looks forward to working with Congress and the administration to ensure that millions of Americans can have improved access to medical imaging technology to help fight serious illnesses such as cancer, heart disease and osteoporosis."
Whitman said that as a result of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, which cut $13 billion in Medicare reimbursement for medical imaging, seniors have begun experiencing disruptions to access for life-saving imaging services. The administration's FY 2009 budget proposes no further Medicare cuts to medical imaging services for seniors and other vulnerable groups.
"Now more than ever, it's crucial that we demonstrate why and how medical imaging improves patient health outcomes and reduces overall Medicare costs," Whitman said. "We look forward to working with policymakers and others to ensure patients have access to imaging services."
For more information: www.medicalimaging.org
February 21, 2024 
