The Beginnings
June 1998 – The ASRT started the national effort to make it mandatory for all states to put into place education and credentialing standards for Radiologic Technologists. The ASRT wants federal legislation to amend the 1981 voluntary Consumer-Patient Radiation Health and Safety Act.
The Long Jounrey
January 2007 – the 110th Congress convenes.The House bill 583 now known as the “Consistency, Accuracy, Responsibility and Excellence (CARE) in Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy Bill,” was introduced into Congress on January 19th by Rep. Mike Doyle. This bill was re-written to follow the H.R. 1423 which was introduced in 2005.
March 2007 – Senators Mike Enzi (R-WY) and Ted Kennedy (D-MA) introduce the CARE BILL as Senate Bill 1042, which is referred to the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee.
June 2007 – The Society for Vascular Ultrasound joins the alliance to support the CARE Bill.. At this time, there were 117 co-sponsors in the House and 22 co-sponsors in the Senate.
March 2008 – On March 13th, Senate Bill 1042 passed in the Senate Health, Energy, labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee. The bill would then go before the Senate Finance Committee for review and approval.
July 2008 – On July 15th Congress passed The Medicare Improvements For Patients and Providers Act of 2008. This bill deals with issues in Medicare, so part of the CARE BILL was written into the Medicare Bill. This would establish standards for personnel who perform CT, MRI, Nuclear Medicine and PET procedures. Radiography, Ultrasound and Radiation Therapy were excluded from this bill.
November of 2008 – No action has been seen on the CARE Bill. The ASRT is hopeful in getting the CARE BILL re-introduced into Congress in 2009. At this time, there were 150 co-sponsors in the US House of Representatives and 27 co-sponsors in the US Senate.
From January 2009 - September 2009 – No action was taken on the CARE Bill.
Current Updates
September 25th 2009 – US Representative John Barrow (D-GA) sponsors the CARE Bill back into the US House of Representatives.
December 2009 – Congress adjourns without taking any further action on the CARE Bill.
May 2010 – At this time, we have 83 co-sponsors in the US House of Representatives. We have been told that if we can get 100 co-sponsors in the House, the CARE Bill will be sponsored back into the Senate.
At this time, we have 3 co-sponsors from Indiana:
Congressman Dan Burton
Congressman Baron Hill
Congressman Andre’ Carson
Remeber, There are individuals doing our jobs who do not have the proper credentials. What can you do? Call, or e-mail your Congressman in your district, and let him know that you are serious about the CARE Bill. Ask him to be a co-sponsor.
This is your profession and this is your future.