119-S-4624 Journalist Public Summary
119 · S 4624 Medicare Access to Radiology Care Act of 2026
A bipartisan bill would let radiologists bill Medicare for certain services performed by certified radiologist assistants (RAs) they directly supervise in hospitals, ASCs, and other facilities—while keeping firm guardrails that RAs cannot interpret images or practice independently; introduced May 21, 2026 by Sens. John Boozman and Ben Ray Luján and sent to the Senate Finance Committee. [1]American College of Radiology — ACR Supports MARCA Bill Clarifying Radiologist…
Public Summary
Headline Summary: Let radiologists bill Medicare for care performed by certified radiologist assistants they directly supervise—without allowing RAs to read images or practice on their own. [1]American College of Radiology — ACR Supports MARCA Bill Clarifying Radiologist…
What It Does: The Medicare Access to Radiology Care Act (S. 4624) would allow the supervising radiologist to submit Medicare claims for certain RA services delivered in hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, and other facility settings. The bill also spells out RA training and scope: RAs assist with procedures and patient care tasks but do not supervise or interpret imaging, and must always work under a radiologist’s direction. Supporters say this keeps physician-led care intact while standardizing payment across settings and reducing delays. [1]American College of Radiology — ACR Supports MARCA Bill Clarifying Radiologist…
Why It Matters: Backers argue this could ease bottlenecks and speed access to imaging—especially in rural areas with workforce gaps—by letting radiologists focus on reads and complex cases while RAs handle defined support tasks under direct oversight. [2]U.S. Senate (Office of Sen. John Boozman) — Boozman, Luján Champion Greater Acc…
Who’s For It:
- Sponsors: Sens. John Boozman (R-AR) and Ben Ray Luján (D-NM). [2]U.S. Senate (Office of Sen. John Boozman) — Boozman, Luján Champion Greater Acc…
- Professional groups backing passage: American College of Radiology (ACR), American Society of Radiologic Technologists (ASRT), American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT), and Society of Radiology Physician Extenders (SRPE). [1]American College of Radiology — ACR Supports MARCA Bill Clarifying Radiologist…
- Stated reasons: maintain physician-led care, clarify RA roles and guardrails, and improve patient access by aligning Medicare payment with how teams already work in facilities. [1]American College of Radiology — ACR Supports MARCA Bill Clarifying Radiologist…
Who’s Against It (or raising concerns):
- Some radiologists and physicians remain wary of expanding non‑physician roles (“scope creep”) and cite patient‑safety concerns in imaging if boundaries blur. [3]American College of Radiology — Fighting Back Against Scope of Practice Expansi…
- Past ACR member polling showed notable opposition to earlier MARCA efforts, reflecting lingering skepticism among some clinicians even as ACR now supports the current bill. [4]Radiology Business — 60% of radiologists surveyed oppose MARCA bill that could…
What’s Next: As of June 2, 2026, S. 4624 has been read twice and referred to the Senate Finance Committee. Next steps would be a committee markup, then floor votes in the Senate and House before any chance of becoming law. [5]FastDemocracy — S 4624 (119th Congress) bill page
- [1] ACR Supports MARCA Bill Clarifying Radiologist Assistant Payment, Role and Scope of Practice American College of Radiology
- [2] Boozman, Luján Champion Greater Access to Radiology Services U.S. Senate (Office of Sen. John Boozman)
- [3] Fighting Back Against Scope of Practice Expansion American College of Radiology
- [4] 60% of radiologists surveyed oppose MARCA bill that could spur wider use of registered rad assistants Radiology Business
- [5] S 4624 (119th Congress) bill page FastDemocracy
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