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.

Massive spending bill passes final vote in Congress with Medicaid cuts intact
The 940-page document passed the House of Representatives in a 218 to 214 vote, and now heads to President Donald Trump’s desk. It contains a 20% cut to federal Medicaid funding, something Trump said he opposes.
Doc groups say payer promises not enough to address care denials
MGMA and others who are part of the “Regulatory Relief Coalition” are urging Congress to continue pushing forward with the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act.
Provider pay increased by 4.9% across specialties in 2024, survey finds
A survey from the American Medical Group Association found that physicians and advanced care providers are making more money when compared to hours worked. However, the complications of inflation and the rising cost of care could eat into gains.
PFA market heats up as medtech companies announce new investments
While Kardium raised $250 million in an oversubscribed funding round, Field Medical raised $35 million. Both companies are focused on designing and developing new pulsed field ablation technologies to help treat challenging arrhythmias.
Senate bounces spending bill back to House with 2.5% Medicare rad pay fix
In addition, there are no restrictions on pass-through entity taxes (PTET), which “benefits independent physician practices,” one expert notes.

American Medical Association approves 1st artificial intelligence CPT code specific to radiology

The "industry milestone" will help radiologists spot incidental vertebral compression fractures during chest CT exams.

No Surprises Act could have ‘substantial’ impact on radiology practices, regardless of network status

That’s according to a new analysis penned by several experts in the field and published in RSNA's Radiology.

7% of cardiologists worth at least $5M—more than almost any other specialty

The report also found that 18% of cardiologists are still paying off their student loans.

Notable regulatory approvals of emerging technologies over the past 30 days

Along with AI in its various iterations, the list may include virtual and augmented reality, 3D printing, robotics and other technologies currently changing healthcare delivery.

healthcare value value-based care money dollar

Radiology ranks tops among specialties with physicians worth more than $5M

Imaging providers ranked only behind internal medicine physicians and tied with cardiology and orthopedic docs, according to a survey from Medscape.

New global guidance from WHO on developing and adopting healthcare AI

With AI-inclusive devices routinely earning regulatory approval for use in clinical settings, the time seems ripe for helping technology translators talk above the din of visionary futurists.

Moody’s sees execution risk in radiology firm Akumin’s $820M acquisition of Alliance Healthcare Services

The investor service cited publicly traded Akumin's modest scale, geographic concentration in Texas and Florida, high debt leverage, and risk tied to its "aggressive" growth strategy.

CMS erects ‘unexpected’ new barriers to payment for PET imaging in certain scenarios

The feds published an updated list of nationally covered imaging indications and surprisingly excluded some scans, to providers' dismay.

Economics

Massive spending bill passes final vote in Congress with Medicaid cuts intact

Doc groups say payer promises not enough to address care denials

Provider pay increased by 4.9% across specialties in 2024, survey finds

PFA market heats up as medtech companies announce new investments

Senate bounces spending bill back to House with 2.5% Medicare rad pay fix