Any physician or medical group practice, non-physician practitioner, certain health care facilities and organizations (each a “supplier”) that provides the technical component of “advanced diagnostic imaging services” must become accredited by an accreditation organization designated by the Secretary (the “Secretary”) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) in order to submit a claim for payment under the Medicare Program.  This accreditation requirement does not apply to hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, home health agencies and other hospital-based providers of advanced diagnostic imaging services.  Under 42 U.S.C. 1395m(e), “advanced diagnostic imaging services” include diagnostic MRI, C/T, PET and other nuclear medicine services and other imaging and computer-assisted imaging services, but specifically exclude x-ray, ultrasound, fluoroscopy and diagnostic and screening mammography services.  Under this new accreditation requirement, the term “physician” includes doctors of medicine or osteopathy, doctors of dental surgery or dental medicine, podiatrists, optometrists and chiropractors.