The ACR Managed Care Committee: focusing private payers on radiology issues

The ACR Managed Care/Private Payer Relations Committee is an important committee of the ACR Commission on Economics. This report reviews the committee's mission, structure, and processes and some of its current recommendations to ACR membership. The development of and participation in radiology advisory committees is a vital strategy in this process. Separating professional and technical charges, rather than submitting global charges, will help preserve radiology's professional integrity in the future. The Imaging Provider Report Card (IPRC) will allow radiology to define practice quality and performance in an era of pay-for-performance reimbursement. The IPRC also provides an external blueprint on what each practice needs to do to improve itself. American College of Radiology accreditation plays a key role in certifying radiology's quality to both payers and patients. Sound business management, group governance, and business size are also important elements of professional practice success. Working together through the ACR promotes the integrity of our profession and the quality of care patients want and deserve.