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.

Report: ACA premiums to jump 30%, CMS documents show
The Washington Post reported that it reviewed documents from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, confirming that the cost of medical coverage is set to spike for 17 million Americans. Open enrollment for coverage through Affordable Care Act exchanges begins on Nov. 1.
PSMA-PET imaging not the most cost-effective option for many prostate cancer patients
The exam effectively helps providers manage patients’ treatment options, but for some, the costs associated with those treatments may negate the value of its findings.
Radiology groups rail against additional tariffs on imaging devices
RSNA, RadNet, the RBMA and Japanese imaging leaders all recently spoke out against the possibility of more fees on device imports.
Proposed tax on billionaires in California would generate $100B for Medicaid, backers say
The ballot measure was recently sent to the state attorney general’s office for approval. Once cleared, supporters can begin collecting signatures for its inclusion in the 2026 elections. The proposed law has the backing of one of the largest labor unions in the state.
CMS recalls furloughed workers ahead of ACA open enrollment
Despite the ongoing government shutdown, some 3,000 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services staff will be returning to the office just in time for Americans to begin looking for health coverage on the Affordable Care Act marketplace. The agency said the employees will be paid for the days they work.

Physicians are using medical imaging as a defense against malpractice claims, study finds

Experts from Emory University discovered a correlation after studying national Medicare imaging trends over a 12-year period and lining them up against lawsuit payouts.

Pandemic perspectives: 3 affected generations, 1 stark conclusion

Millennials, Gen Xers and Baby Boomers fall fairly close to one another in how they view several aspects of life with COVID. One in which the divide is wide: the desire for a “digital detox.”

Crisis clobbers affiliated imaging centers, with recovery coming slower than main hospital campus

Such sites generate significant income for hospitals, while also capturing a large portion of outpatient imaging, experts wrote in Academic Radiology.

NIH awards $4.6M grant for research into pediatric ‘chemo brain’

As part of the four year project, experts will pinpoint brain activity on functional MRI scans during attention, memory and other cognitive assessments.

Deep dive finds more for radiologists to dislike in 2021 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule

Consulting firm Healthcare Administrative Partners highlighted payment cuts as severe as 18% for high-volume imaging procedures.

Radiology provider Akumin says layoffs, pay cuts helped buoy $13.7M second quarter

The company has seen an uptick in COVID-19 cases in core markets, but third quarter volumes continue to recover from the steep drops seen in the spring.

Trump taps board-certified radiologist as new COVID-19 advisor

Scott Atlas, MD, is a senior fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution, and is serving as an advisor to the president on pandemic-related matters.

Mobile imaging provider must pay up after overcharging Medicare for transportation, DOJ says

Physician’s Mobile X-Ray has agreed to pony up nearly $50,000 for violating the False Claims Act over a five-year period.

Economics

Report: ACA premiums to jump 30%, CMS documents show

PSMA-PET imaging not the most cost-effective option for many prostate cancer patients

Radiology groups rail against additional tariffs on imaging devices

Proposed tax on billionaires in California would generate $100B for Medicaid, backers say

CMS recalls furloughed workers ahead of ACA open enrollment