Economics

This channel highlights factors that impact hospital and healthcare economics and revenue. This includes news on healthcare policies, reimbursement, marketing, business plans, mergers and acquisitions, supply chain, salaries, staffing, and the implementation of a cost-effective environment for patients and providers.

UnitedHealthcare adds new roadblock around radiology reimbursement
An impending policy change from UHC could cause providers to jump through additional hoops to receive payment for some imaging-related services.
Envision Radiology acquires private equity-backed imaging center operator Rezolut
With the deal, Envision will add a total of 42 freestanding centers across six states, ballooning its location count to more than 100 nationwide.
RadNet adds $100M in annual revenue, acquiring 13 imaging centers from LucidHealth
The company is expanding into southwest Florida, one of the Sunshine State’s fastest growing geographies, with the purchase of Radiology Regional.
Kentucky community hospital inks partnership with Radiology Partners
Spring View Hospital, Lebanon, is teaming with RP effective Dec. 11, with the practice providing both on-site and remote radiology services.
Aetna covers AI-powered coronary plaque assessments, joining other major insurers
This news follows similar announcements from Humana, Cigna and UnitedHealthcare; a majority of insured Americans can now be treated with these technologies and have the procedure covered by their provider.

Which interventional radiology procedure is most cost-effective for treating knee osteoarthritis?

OA impacts more than 595M people worldwide and produces $80B in healthcare costs in the U.S. alone, experts detailed in the American Journal of Roentgenology.

Qure.ai CEO and Co-founder Prashant Warier

Radiology vendor Qure.ai completes $65M Series D funding round

Founded in 2016, the vendor offers the "world’s most deployed healthcare AI," with its solutions in use across 3,000 care sites in 90 countries.

HHS awards $75M for addiction and maternal health services in rural areas

The funds will be used to expand services and improve the financial stability of existing healthcare organizations located in underserved regions of the South.

Private equity firm acquiring diagnostic imaging provider for $658M

Affinity Equity Partners is buying 30-year-old Lumus Imaging, which employs over 2,000 imaging experts and support staff across 150 care sites.

The FreeClimb 70 reperfusion system with Tenzing 7 delivery catheter. Image courtesy of Route 92 Medical.

Stroke specialists raise another $50M thanks to late investment from Novo Holdings

California-based Route 92 Medical previously announced a funding round worth more than $31 million in November. Now, however, a massive addition from Novo Holdings makes the round worth closer to $82 million.

Erin R. Stevens, CNMT, NCT, director of nuclear medicine at Oregon Heart Center, said training physicians for what is needed in cardiac PET documentation is key for preventing issues with prior authorizations. ASNC photo

Good documentation is the key to cardiac PET prior authorizations

Knowing what, exactly, is needed in cardiac PET documentation is one of the best ways to limit prior authorization issues.

A majority of medical devices involved in Class I recalls were never required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to undergo premarket or postmarket clinical testing, according to new research published in Annals of Internal Medicine.[1]

Most recalled cardiovascular devices gained FDA approval with little to no clinical evidence

Why are so many cardiovascular devices involved in Class I recalls? One possible reason could be the large number of devices hitting the market without undergoing much premarket clinical testing.

Imaging agent developer Telix to buy RLS radiopharmaceutical network for up to $250M

RLS operates America’s only Joint Commission-accredited radiopharmacy network, with 31 locations covering over 85% of the U.S. population.

Economics

UnitedHealthcare adds new roadblock around radiology reimbursement

Envision Radiology acquires private equity-backed imaging center operator Rezolut

RadNet adds $100M in annual revenue, acquiring 13 imaging centers from LucidHealth

Kentucky community hospital inks partnership with Radiology Partners

Aetna covers AI-powered coronary plaque assessments, joining other major insurers