制造磁共振成像仪和贵重诊断性影像学硬件的公司宣称，自从医疗保险部门削减了做影像病人的费用后，他们的销售正在下滑。这种付款的改变在一月份开始生效并且预期在五年内可节省28亿美元，根据工业组织提供给美联社的数据显示，由GE，Siemens，Toshiba和其他的公司制造的影像的销售在最后一个季度下降超过20%，GE在第一季度，它的销售额仅为1.5亿美元。

医疗保险的官员指出，这种削减并不针对医疗影像大量使用的医院。同时批评家也辩称，有时核磁共振成像和其它高科技扫描的使用并非医疗所需，而仅仅是为了增加收入。但是企业和在成像部门工作的医生们正在华盛顿游说，他们说，这种削减将使需要做扫描的病人变得很困难。“当你看到阻止和限制对病人诊断的立法时，那将是一个很坏的长期的决定，它将直接影响人们的健康“，GE公司卫生保健业务的总裁透露。

两个成像贸易团体在去年雇用了23名游说者去处理这个问题，根据AP部门说。但是那不可能扭转这种趋势—今年国会还没有制定关于医疗成像赔偿问题的听证会，并且两党成员都一致承诺要削减更多的医疗保险支出。

Medicare Cuts Hurt Sales of Imaging Equipment

Companies that make MRI machines and other expensive diagnostic imaging hardware say their sales are down since Medicare cut payments for outpatient imaging procedures.

The payment changes went into effect in January and are expected to save save $2.8 billion over five years, the Associated Press reports。Sales of scanners made by GE, Siemens, Toshiba and others fell more than 20% last quarter, according to data an industry group provided to the AP。GE alone said its imaging sales took a $150 million hit in the first quarter.

Medicare officials point out that the cuts don’t target hospitals, where the majority of imaging procedures are done。And critics have argued that MRIs and other high-tech scans are sometimes performed without medical need, solely to boost revenues。But the industry and doctors who work in imaging are lobbying in Washington, arguing that the cuts will make it harder for patients to get needed scans.

“When you see legislation like this that retards and restricts the availability of diagnostics, it’s just a bad long-term decision that can negatively affect people’s health,” the president of GE’s health care business told the AP.

Two imaging trade groups hired 23 lobbyists last year to work on Medicare issues, according to the AP。But that may not be enough to turn the tide — Congress has not scheduled any hearings on the imaging reimbursement issue this year, and members of both parties have promised to make more cuts to Medicare spending。