The American College of Nurse Practitioners (ACNP) wants ACNP-ENP members to be aware that that Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is denying payment for portable X-Ray services ordered by nurse practitioners or any health care professional other than a physician.
 
The “MedLearn Matters” article issued last fall includes the unambiguous statement: “Portable X-Ray services may only be ordered by a Doctor of Medicine or Doctor of Osteopathy. Portable X-Ray services ordered by any other practitioners will be denied.”
 
The December 2011 HHS Office of Inspector General report entitled “Questionable Billing Patterns of Portable X-Ray Suppliers,” also declares “Federal regulations stipulate that portable x-rays must be ordered by a licensed medical doctor or doctor of osteopathy who is treating the beneficiary for a specific medical problem and who uses the results of the x-ray in managing it.”

We understand the importance of permitting nurse practitioners to order portable X-Rays.  ACNP will be working vigorously to lift this prohibition.