Sponsors (37)
The bill expands Medicare coverage and standardizes rules to increase access and improve safety for portable ultrasound at home, but it raises Medicare/taxpayer costs and creates compliance requirements that could limit some providers or blunt access gains.
Medicare beneficiaries who need home or bedside imaging will have increased access because portable ultrasound services receive separate Medicare payments starting Jan 1, 2027.
Patients with mobility limitations, people in rural areas, and Medicare beneficiaries will be more likely to obtain portable ultrasound at home because suppliers are more likely to offer the service when dedicated reimbursement exists.
Medicare beneficiaries and health systems will benefit from improved quality and safety because supplier requirements for portable ultrasound will be standardized (modeled on portable X‑ray rules).
Taxpayers and the Medicare Trust Funds will face higher costs because Medicare will pay separately for portable ultrasound transportation and set‑up services.
Small portable-imaging providers and some hospitals will face higher compliance and administrative costs from new supplier requirements, which could limit smaller providers' ability to offer portable ultrasound services.
Medicare beneficiaries may still experience limited access if payment rates are set too low or if administrative rules are overly burdensome, reducing the intended availability gains.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Adds ultrasound to Medicare's diagnostic-test definition and requires separate Medicare payments for portable ultrasound transportation and set‑up.
Introduced March 27, 2025 by Beth Van Duyne · Last progress March 27, 2025
Adds diagnostic ultrasound tests to the list of Medicare diagnostic tests and requires Medicare to make separate payments for portable ultrasound transportation and set‑up services. It also directs the Secretary to impose supplier requirements for portable ultrasound services that are substantially similar to existing rules for portable X‑ray services. These changes amend the Social Security Act and take effect for services furnished on or after January 1, 2027. The amendment creates a new Medicare payment category for portable ultrasound travel and set‑up and ties supplier eligibility and standards to the existing regulatory framework for portable X‑ray providers.