Imaging Accreditors Compared

This page sets ACR, IAC, RadSite and The Joint Commission side by side on six topics, using what each body’s own pages and CMS’s page state. The four are the accrediting organizations CMS lists for advanced diagnostic imaging (CT, MRI and nuclear medicine/PET). It makes no recommendation and names no winner. Every cell links to the page it came from.

Last reviewed: 2026-10-03. CMS page last modified 08/17/2026. Confirm every detail on each body’s own site before you rely on it.

Side-by-side: what each body’s pages state

Topic	ACR (American College of Radiology)	IAC (Intersocietal Accreditation Commission)	RadSite	The Joint Commission
Modalities / program scope	The ACR process article says the Diagnostic Modality Accreditation Program “includes seven programs”: Breast Ultrasound, CT, MRI, Nuclear Medicine, PET, Stereotactic Breast Biopsy and Ultrasound. Mammography and Radiation Oncology “need to apply separately.” ACR, The Accreditation Process	Separate IAC program pages cover MRI, CT / Dental CT and Nuclear/PET. The Nuclear/PET fee page lists the testing areas “Cardiac Imaging”, “General Nuclear Medicine” and “Other PET Imaging”. IAC MRI · IAC CT / Dental CT · IAC Nuclear/PET · IAC Nuclear/PET fees	RadSite’s accreditation page lists CT, MRI, Nuclear Medicine & PET, Remote Scanning, Ultrasound, Dental Cone Beam CT and Medical Cone Beam CT programs. RadSite, Accreditation Programs	The Joint Commission lists “Advanced Imaging Services” as a care setting in its Ambulatory Health Care program, and “Diagnostic Imaging Center” and “Mobile Imaging” among eligible settings. Its one-page flyer on the CMS requirement names “MRI, CT, PET and nuclear medicine.” Joint Commission, Ambulatory Health Care · Joint Commission flyer (PDF)
Survey or review type	ACR: “The accreditation process is conducted primarily electronically and by mail. The ACR conducts random image checks and on-site surveys to validate maintenance of accreditation criteria within the three-year accreditation period.” ACR’s Validation Site Survey page: “virtual or in person site surveys”; “These visits will be unannounced for MIPPA facilities (modalities in non-hospital facilities that require imaging accreditation for CMS reimbursement).” ACR process · ACR Validation Site Survey	IAC: facilities “conduct a self-evaluation by reviewing the IAC Standards”, then complete an application that requires “detailed information on all aspects of facility operation as well as the submission of actual case studies for review.” On-site and unannounced review: Not stated on the three program pages cited. IAC MRI · IAC CT / Dental CT · IAC Nuclear/PET	RadSite’s MRI page describes “A streamlined online application with a dedicated client services manager to guide you through the desktop review, physics review, and clinical image submission process.” Its CT page refers to “the submission of clinical case studies.” On-site and unannounced review: Not stated on the pages we reviewed. RadSite MRI · RadSite CT · RadSite Nuclear Medicine	General Joint Commission process page, not specific to imaging: “The main event is the on-site survey”; “Most Joint Commission surveys are unannounced, except for non-deemed initial surveys.” Imaging-specific survey description: Not stated on the pages we reviewed. Joint Commission, Accreditation Process · Ambulatory Health Care · flyer (PDF)
Accreditation cycle length	“The 3-year period of accreditation extends from the date the first module or unit passes the full evaluation.” ACR process	“IAC application fees cover each three-year accreditation cycle.” IAC MRI · IAC CT / Dental CT · IAC Nuclear/PET	Not stated on the pages we reviewed. RadSite Accreditation Programs · RadSite MRI · RadSite CT · RadSite Nuclear Medicine · RadSite pricing	General Joint Commission pages, not specific to imaging: the pricing page refers to “the triennial accreditation cycle”; the process page says “Organizations can expect an unannounced survey between 30 to 36 months after the previous full survey (24 months for laboratories).” Joint Commission pricing · Joint Commission process
CMS recognition as an advanced diagnostic imaging (ADI) accrediting organization	CMS: “CMS approved the following national AOs for ADI services: American College of Radiology (ACR) …” CMS, Accreditation of Advanced Diagnostic Imaging Suppliers	CMS lists “Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC)” among the national AOs it approved for ADI services. CMS, Accreditation of Advanced Diagnostic Imaging Suppliers	CMS lists “RadSite” among the national AOs it approved for ADI services. CMS, Accreditation of Advanced Diagnostic Imaging Suppliers	CMS lists “Joint Commission (JC)” among the national AOs it approved for ADI services. The Joint Commission’s flyer states: “CMS named The Joint Commission a designated accreditation organization for advanced imaging services.” CMS page · Joint Commission flyer (PDF)
Published fees (verify current fees with each body)	ACR’s fee article is titled “Fees and Payments (5-6-2026)” and lists amounts by modality; amounts are not reproduced here. “All fees are non-refundable and subject to change without notice.” Refund terms were not compared. Verify current fees with ACR. ACR, Fees and Payments	IAC publishes fee pages for Nuclear/PET, MRI and CT / Dental CT; amounts are not reproduced. The Nuclear/PET page shows no date in the text we read. Verify current fees with IAC. IAC Nuclear/PET fees · IAC MRI fees · IAC CT / Dental CT fees	RadSite’s pricing page publishes an “Accreditation Fee Schedule” by modality and says fees “are auto-generated as an imaging supplier initiates an application through the RadSite accreditation portal.” Amounts are not reproduced here. Verify current fees with RadSite. RadSite, Pricing Information	General Joint Commission pricing page, not specific to imaging: it gives no amounts. “Accreditation fees are calculated based on the services provided and your average daily census.” Verify current fees with The Joint Commission. Joint Commission, Pricing
Standards or requirements document named	“ACR accreditation program requirements are independent of the ACR Practice Parameters and Technical Standards.” Version or date of the program requirements: Not stated on the pages we reviewed. ACR, Relationship Between Accreditation Requirements, Practice Parameters, and Technical Standards · ACR process	Named documents: “IAC Standards & Guidelines for MRI Accreditation”, “IAC Standards & Guidelines for Nuclear/PET Accreditation”, and “IAC Standards & Guidelines for CT or Dental CT Accreditation.” IAC: “Standards are the minimum requirements to which an accredited facility is accountable.” IAC MRI · IAC Nuclear/PET · IAC CT / Dental CT	RadSite names “RadSite Standards” and offers a request form to download them for CT, MRI and nuclear medicine. Version or date: Not stated on the pages we reviewed. RadSite, Standards · RadSite Accreditation Programs	The Joint Commission’s flyer states it “has added three new elements of performance (EPs) to the Environment of Care (EC) chapter” to meet the CMS requirement. The flyer carries no date on its face. Inference: its form code (AHCADIF0118) ends 0118, and we did not confirm these elements are current. The Ambulatory Health Care page points to its standards manuals. Joint Commission flyer (PDF) · Ambulatory Health Care

How to read this

Each cell is a short quote or a close paraphrase from the page linked in that cell. “Not stated on the pages we reviewed.” means we found no statement on the linked pages. It does not mean the body has no such practice.
CMS scope, in CMS’s words: the requirement “requires certain imaging suppliers to be accredited before they can receive Medicare payment for imaging services. Any supplier that performs the technical component of ADI must be accredited. This requirement doesn’t apply to hospitals or critical access hospitals.” CMS says ADI accreditation procedures are set forth at 42 CFR 414.68. The Joint Commission’s flyer words the exclusion by billing method: it “excludes hospital-based suppliers … who bill the technical component … under the hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) or Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS).” Whether a particular site is covered is a question for your counsel or CMS. Source: CMS, Accreditation of Advanced Diagnostic Imaging Suppliers · Joint Commission flyer (PDF).
ACR and RadSite list ultrasound programs. CMS says ultrasound is not an ADI procedure, so ultrasound is outside this matrix. ACR, IAC and RadSite also offer programs outside advanced diagnostic imaging that are not listed here (see IAC, Programs).
Columns are alphabetical. Cell length reflects what each body publishes, not importance.
IHS observation: fee structures differ by body (per unit, per base fee with testing areas, per imaging system), so the amounts are not like for like.

What this page is not

It is not legal advice. IHS is a consulting firm, not a law firm.
It does not tell you whether your facility must be accredited.
It is not a ranking, and it is not a guarantee of any accreditor’s decision.
IHS does not submit anything to an accreditor; see the IHS submissions FAQ.

IHS organizes documents and evidence for whichever program a facility’s requirement names. IHS scopes each engagement after a free introductory call.

Frequently asked questions

Which accreditors does CMS list for advanced diagnostic imaging?

CMS’s page on advanced diagnostic imaging (ADI) suppliers lists four national accrediting organizations it approved for ADI services: the American College of Radiology (ACR), the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC), Joint Commission (JC) and RadSite.

Which imaging does CMS treat as advanced diagnostic imaging?

CMS names Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Computed Tomography (CT), and nuclear medicine imaging such as Positron Emission Tomography (PET). CMS says the following are not considered ADI procedures: X-ray, ultrasound, fluoroscopy procedures, and diagnostic and screening mammography. The requirement is tied to Medicare payment.

Do hospitals and critical access hospitals fall under the requirement?

CMS states that the requirement “requires certain imaging suppliers to be accredited before they can receive Medicare payment for imaging services. Any supplier that performs the technical component of ADI must be accredited. This requirement doesn’t apply to hospitals or critical access hospitals.” Ask your counsel. CMS directs enrollment questions to your Medicare Administrative Contractor and accreditation-process questions to its ADI mailbox (ADIAccreditation@cms.hhs.gov).

How long is the accreditation period each body states?

ACR states a 3-year period of accreditation counted from the date the first module or unit passes the full evaluation. IAC states that its application fees cover each three-year accreditation cycle. The Joint Commission’s general pages, which are not specific to imaging, refer to a triennial cycle. We did not find a cycle length stated on the RadSite pages we reviewed.

Are the surveys unannounced?

ACR’s Validation Site Survey page says its visits “will be unannounced for MIPPA facilities (modalities in non-hospital facilities that require imaging accreditation for CMS reimbursement).” The Joint Commission’s general process page says most of its surveys are unannounced, except for non-deemed initial surveys, and that page is not specific to imaging. We did not find a statement about unannounced review on the IAC or RadSite pages we reviewed.

What fees do the bodies publish, and how current are they?

ACR’s fee article is titled “Fees and Payments (5-6-2026)” and lists amounts per modality. IAC publishes fee pages for Nuclear/PET, MRI and CT / Dental CT. RadSite publishes a fee schedule on its pricing page. The Joint Commission’s general pricing page, which is not specific to imaging, states no amounts. This page does not reproduce any amounts. Fees can change, so verify current fees with each body.

Does IHS submit anything to ACR, IAC, RadSite or The Joint Commission?

No. IHS does not submit anything to an accreditor and does not communicate with one on a client’s behalf. The applicant submits its own application, images and documents. IHS organizes documents and evidence for the program a facility’s requirement names.

Who decides whether image quality, phantom results and dose measurements are acceptable?

Those are radiology and physics judgments. The facility’s radiologists, physicists and technologists own them. IHS does not perform or grade them.

Sources

Each link was opened on 2026-10-03.

Diagnostic imaging accreditation: what ACR, IAC, RadSite and The Joint Commission each state