New Medicare Rules Aim to Reduce Radiation Risks from CT Scans

MONDAY, March 10, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Hospitals and imaging centers in the United States are now mandated to track and report radiation exposure from CT scans due to new Medicare regulations. This requirement, which began rolling out in January, is a response to growing concerns about excessive radiation from CT scans and its potential association with cancer risk.

Research indicates that more than 93 million CT scans are conducted annually in the U.S., with over half performed on individuals aged 60 and older, according to IMV, a medical market research firm. CT scans, essential for diagnosing various medical conditions, can expose patients to differing levels of radiation, with some receiving 10 to 15 times more radiation than others for similar exams.

Rebecca Smith-Bindman, a professor at the University of California-San Francisco medical school, stated, “It’s unfathomable. We keep doing more and more CTs, and the doses keep going up.” Smith-Bindman, who has researched the risks associated with CT scans, noted that excessive radiation can increase cancer risk over time, especially for patients undergoing multiple scans throughout their lives.

The new regulations, issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), aim to standardize radiation doses and enhance the safety of imaging practices. Among other requirements, hospitals and imaging centers must collect data on the radiation emitted by their scanners, as well as evaluate whether doses are appropriate and necessary.

The phased implementation of these guidelines will continue until 2027, with penalties for non-compliance also occurring gradually. A CMS spokesperson emphasized that the danger of excessive and unnecessary radiation exposure could be mitigated through effective data collection.

Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group, an organization that monitors hospital safety, welcomed the new rules, noting that radiation exposure is a significant patient safety issue. “We commend CMS for focusing on CT scans,” Binder said.

Although initial studies estimated that CT scans contribute to approximately 2% of cancer cases annually, a number experts believe may have increased due to the rise in scan rates. Smith-Bindman and her colleagues have called for stricter regulations on radiation levels, emphasizing a significant variation in dose from one institution to another. “There is very large variation,” she noted, referring to the inconsistency in radiation doses.

While the individual cancer risk from a single CT scan is low, the cumulative exposure from multiple scans, especially among older individuals, raises alarms. Max Wintermark, a neuroradiologist at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, expressed optimism about the effectiveness of the new CMS regulations. “I think the measures will help accelerate the transition towards always lower and lower doses. They are helpful,” Wintermark said.

The American College of Radiology (ACR) initially criticized the new requirements for being too cumbersome. However, they have since engaged with Alara Imaging, a company providing tools to aid compliance with the regulations. The ACR’s vice president for quality management programs acknowledged ongoing discussions with Alara regarding data collection.

As healthcare practitioners and organizations adapt to these new regulations, the commitment to ensuring patient safety and effective imaging practices will remain a significant focus in the healthcare landscape.