One morning last year, a patient checked into a hospital in Canada as the first TAVR case of the day, and they were discharge by that evening. It was an eyebrow-raising feat for a procedure that typically requires several days of hospitalization.

As the "volume to value" movement reshapes healthcare economics across the U.S., radiology is reminded daily that it is by no means exempt from the new and somewhat nebulous fiscal demands.

A hospital seeking to replace CT technology that does not meet the XR-29 standard has a wide range of slice counts and capabilities to consider, all the way up to state-of-the-art—but pricey—dual energy CT (DECT).

April 16, 2015, marked the beginning of a seismic shift in the healthcare landscape. On that day, the U.S. Senate passed H.R. 2, the MACRA, which repeals the SGR formula, extends the CHIP for two years, institutes a 0.5% increase in Medicare reimbursement over the next four and a half years and encourages physicians to transition to APMs.

Radiology has been hit hard by reimbursement cuts and regulations but the cutting-edge tools available are helping practices stay ahead of all the changes impacting the market.

The practice has identified a billing error or a compliance problem impacting Medicare coverage that resulted in the practice having received an overpayment from Medicare.

January 1, 2017, is likely to be a red-letter day for radiology. As of this date, physicians ordering advanced diagnostic imaging exams (CT, MRI, nuclear medicine, and PET) for Medicare beneficiaries must, in compliance with the Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014, consult government-approved, evidence-based appropriate use criteria through a clinical decision support (CDS) system.

The prices hospitals set for a series of common procedures increased by more than 10% between 2011 and 2013. That’s a faster surge than the rate of inflation—and it’s just one of 50 “things to know about healthcare costs” as spotlighted in a mid-year report from Becker’s Hospital CFO.