The Obama administration on Feb. 9 released its proposed budget for the 2017 fiscal year, reported The New York Times. Upon its release, medical imaging groups offered up differing perspectives on the proposal, which set aside $1.15 trillion for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
A renewed focus on cancer
According to STAT, the administration asked for $755 million to fund Vice President Joe Biden's cancer initiative. President Obama announced the program during his final State of the Union address in January. It aims to increase funding for investigators researching new cancer treatments and unite disparate specialties within the biomedical community under one cause.
The American Society for Radiation Oncology said it strongly supports this funding, reported Radiology Business.
"Never before have clinicians been able to induce remission in those suffering from cancer like they have today through the use of radiation therapy in combination with other treatment modalities," Dr. Bruce Minsky, the organization's chair, said in a statement. "Now is the time for siloed fields to coalesce and synergize to drive progress in leaps rather than in small increments."
Prior authorization continues
The proposal also calls for funding for Medicare's controversial prior authorization program, which requires health care providers to evaluate the efficacy of all medical procedures before offering them to customers. Additionally, the 2017 budget now proposes that advanced medical imaging technology be subject to this regulatory quirk.
Several industry groups spoke out against this portion of the budget.
The American College of Radiology, an organization that has long opposed prior authorization, expressed frustration over the administration's decision to continue the program. According to Radiology Business, the Access to Medical Imaging Coalition agreed, arguing that the program restricts patient access to life-saving technology and impedes technological progress within the medical imaging industry.
Both organizations pointed out that prior authorization clashes with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' Appropriate Use Criteria program.
"When prior authorization schemes are applied to imaging, patients encounter roadblocks to early and proper diagnosis," Tim Trysla, executive director of the AMIC, said in a news release. "Congress has already developed an effective policy to make certain that advanced imaging orders are informed and supported by sound evidence-based (AUC) guidelines."
Precision medicine still a focal point
Last year, President Obama launched the Precision Medicine Initiative, a federal program meant to encourage the development of patient-centered treatments. Under this program, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology received $5 million to support private companies and researchers looking into interoperable healthcare information systems.
The 2017 budget proposal calls for an additional $309 million for the Precision Medicine Initiative and the ONC is set to receive $5 million more over the next fiscal year.
The ACR said it supported the continued funding of the ONC's efforts.
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Ronny Bachrach
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