on September 30, 2011 |
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Nick Bartz, Imaging Performance Partnerhsip
The rate of utilization of non-invasive diagnostic imaging in Emergency Departments is steadily increasing, according to an article published this month in the Journal of the American College of Radiology. Across all modalities used in the ED, non-invasive diagnostic imaging exams increased from 281 exams per 1000 beneficiaries in 2000 to 450.4 in 2008, an overall increase of 60%. The modality showing the greatest increase was Computed Tomography, whose share of ED imaging doubled from 2000 to 2008.
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Study Finds Growing Use of Imaging in the Emergency Department
on September 28, 2011 |
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Topics: Imaging, Service Lines, Medicare, Reimbursement, Finance
Nick Bartz, Imaging Performance Partnership
A bill which would grant Medicare reimbursement to radiologist assistants is now heading for congress. The Medicare Access to Radiology Care Act of 2011, which would amend the Social Security Act to recognize radiologist assistants as non-physician providers of health care services for Medicare beneficiaries, was introduced into the U.S. House of Representatives on September 23.
However, the scope of an RA’s ability to perform healthcare services would still be determined by individual states’ laws establishing radiologist-assistant practice guidelines. RAs are currently licensed or certified in 29 states. Furthermore, the bill would not allow RAs to bill CMS directly, rather, under the proposed legislation, health care facilities and radiology practices would be reimbursed for services performed by RAs, at 85 percent of the physician fee schedule rate.
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Congressmen Push to Grant Reimbursement for Radiologist Assistants
on September 19, 2011 |
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Nick Bartz, Imaging Performance Partnership
President Obama on Monday unveiled a deficit reduction proposal that would include an increase to Medicare's imaging equipment utilization factor and the implementation of prior authorization for advanced imaging, as part of a broader proposal that would cut over $320 billion from Medicare and Medicaid over the next decade.
Taking its lead from MedPAC, the Whitehouse is seeking to update Medicare payments to more appropriately account for utilization of advanced imaging. Beginning in 2013, the president’s proposal would implement a “payment adjustment for advanced imaging equipment to account for higher levels of utilization for certain types of equipment.” It is unclear at this point whether the equipment utilization rate would be raised to 90%, as has been proposed in the past, or to some lower rate, but the Whitehouse is suggesting that its adjustment would save approximately $400 million over 10 years.
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Obama's deficit reduction proposal would increase equipment utilization factor, implement prior authorization for advanced imaging
