Business Intelligence

Providers utilize business intelligence to monitor referral patterns and collaborate with clinicians who order their services. Such analytics tools have also been deployed in the specialty to improve productivity, track patient satisfaction and bolster quality.

Congresswoman Reintroduces Bill to Increase Exceptions for Meaningful Use

The proposed law would exempt doctors who are solo practitioners, are near retirement age or don’t conduct traditional office visits. The last exception would presumably apply to radiologists.

Sequester Goes Into Effect

For Medicare providers, the 2 percent across-the-board cut to reimbursement is now in effect. It’s implementation on April Fools Day may seem apt as these cuts were supposed to have been so severe and harmful that no one in their right mind would let them go into effect

AQI Schedules Advocacy Day to Close Self Referral Loophole

Seeking to close the in-office ancillary services exception to the law preventing physician self referral, the Association for Quality Imaging has scheduled a Washington, D.C., advocacy day on May 8

Fujifilm Introduces Compact CR Reader

For providers with low- to mid-volume imaging needs, Fujifilm has introduced the FCR Prima-T2, a compact and lightweight Computed Radiography (CR) reader.

SonoSite Gets FDA OK for Advanced Needle Guidance Technology

The FDA has given 501(k) clearance to Fujifilm SonoSite Inc.’s latest needle guidance technology that combines ultrasound imaging with advanced magnetics to allow physicians more precise control in deep needle-based procedures.

MPPR Correction Resurfaces, but What About the Utilization Rate?

Radiology advocates are still reeling from the fiscal cliff deal, a piece of legislation that failed to reverse the multiple payment procedure reduction (MPPR) and boosted the utilization rate on imaging equipment to 90%. MPPR correction legislation is back on the docket and racking up co-sponsors, but what about the utilization rate?

Bill to Stop MPPR on Rads’ Reads Introduced in Senate

Senators Ben Cardin (D-MD) and David Vitter (R-LA) last week introduced legislation to stop the multiple procedure payment reduction (MPPR) from going into effect on the professional component of Medicare advanced diagnostic imaging reimbursement

Promise of Alzheimer’s PET Imaging Hinges on Reimbursement

Nearly a year after the FDA approved the first brain imaging test to diagnose Alzheimer’s, the test remains uncommon outside of research trials. “We have a lot of interest, but few patients are willing to pay for it,” notes Judith Rose, MD, director of PET/CT and nuclear medicine for RadNet.