Lobby day for radiologists in Virginia

Abstract

The comprehensive system of federal laws and regulations affecting the practice of radiologists can sometimes dwarf the attention given to state regulatory issues. Medicare, the Stark law, the antikickback law, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, and other major health care initiatives unquestionably gain the most attention and indeed may have the most impact on a radiologist’s daily practice. However, despite the great importance of federal regulation, radiologists and other medical professionals should not forget their state legislatures. States, not the federal government, have the responsibility of regulating doctors’ practices through local boards of medicine. States also may regulate certain medical expenditures and the acquisition of imaging equipment, a process known (at least in Virginia) as a certificate of public need (COPN). These were the two major issues of concern to the Virginia Chapter of the ACR (VCACR) at the 2003 session of the Virginia General Assembly. In this column, we describe one day in January 2002 when members of the chapter sought to influence these issues. Our purpose in doing so is to offer Virginia lobby day as a model that other chapters may wish to emulate.