Unpredictability seems to be the constant variable in the saga of changes to healthcare these days. When the decision was made to postpone the ICD-10 for another year, many healthcare providers let out a sigh of relief, while others expressed disappointment because they had already spent considerable resources on preparations and training. Either way, sometime in 2015, providers and payers alike will have to be ready for the change. Industry experts suggest they use the extra time wisely. 

We won’t know with any certainty for years whether the Affordable Care Act will ultimately result in a healthier US population, but the new health law is speeding the demise of an American small-business institution; the one-doctor medical practice, according to an article published in the Union-Tribune San Diego. 

Now that the enrollment period is over for the health insurance exchanges (HIEs), individual states are reporting their enrollment figures; some states report meeting their enrollment goals and others falling far short. Beyond a simple exercise in tallying, state leaders also are evaluating their state’s exchange rollout successes, challenges and enrollment demographics, making plans to address gaps in enrollment and devising operational tactics for the coming year. At the same time, major insurers, such as Aetna and United Health Group, are beginning to report their first quarter results under the new health care law and offer some indication rate hikes next year. 

According to the Associated Press, radiologist, Dr. Ashokkumar Babaria of Moorestown, New Jersey, has been sentenced to nearly four years in prison for overseeing an illegal kickback scheme. 

Almost 45 years after publication in JAMA of the results of the first randomized controlled trial of screening mammography in the U.S. by Shapiro, Strax and Venet in 1971, the war continues to rage.

ROCHESTER, N.Y., April 23 — The Johns Hopkins Health System (Baltimore, Md.) has purchased Carestream Health’s Vue PACS which offers innovative radiology features that can further enhance the organization’s ability to help deliver exceptional medical services for patients with a wide range of diseases.

A mobile device offers a portal into everything from your bank account to the latest episode of your favorite television series, so why not give referring physicians mobile access to PACS? This question occurred to Raleigh Radiology in 2012, and when a mobile application became available for the practice’s Synapse® PACS, the tech-forward practice put the wheels in motion.

BOSTON, April 14, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- PAREXEL International (NASDAQ: PRXL), a leading global biopharmaceutical services organization, today announced the appointment of Peter Steiger, Ph.D., to the newly created position of Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer for Medical Imaging. Dr. Steiger, who has more than 25 years of experience in the application of specialized medical imaging techniques in support of biopharmaceutical product development, will oversee the worldwide medical imaging scientific strategy at PAREXEL Informatics.  PAREXEL Informatics provides advanced technology solutions to facilitate the clinical development process.