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.

Leaked HHS budget reveals 30% cuts, elimination of many core services
A proposal for the massive restructuring of the Department of Health and Human Services ends funding to programs associated with chronic disease management, lead safety, and Head Start. However, HHS is adding a new department to focus on understanding the cause of long-term illness.
RadNet leaders discuss rationale behind blockbuster $103M iCAD AI acquisition
RadNet provides 1.9M mammograms per year in the U.S., and adding iCAD’s installed customer base would boost the number of impacted exams to 10M.
Interventional radiologists ‘markedly’ increase billing for nonprocedural work, despite drop in overall doc count
"These findings underscore IR’s accelerating transition toward comprehensive patient care, with significant implications for training, practice management, and the specialty’s role within the broader healthcare landscape," experts write.
Radiologists call for new billing codes to reward work outside of interpreting images
Previous studies have shown rads can spend upward of 60% of workhours on such duties, including curbside consults and multidisciplinary meetings.
Radiology practice reaches in-network agreement with UnitedHealthcare 9 months after terminating contract
Arizona-based Southwest Diagnostic Imaging shared the breakthrough Monday, restoring access for patients covered by UHC’s commercial and Medicare Advantage plans effective May 1.

Striking a Match: A Perspective on Evaluating Benefit Structures When Considering a Merger

Zotec

To achieve success in consolidating two radiology practices, it’s important that they are a “good fit.” But what determines a good fit?  While practices may be similar in size and may even have some structural similarities, no two practices are exactly alike.

Meeting the financial needs of the practice with analytics, reporting

Sponsored by FUJIFILM Healthcare Americas

You can show Kirk Hintz the money, or show him the data, but what he really wants to see is the variance. Formerly an options trader in Naples, Fla., with some practice administration experience, Hintz assumed the position of CEO for Nashville-based Radiology Alliance two years ago.

ICD-10 attitudes survey validates official delay

Just before the transition to ICD-10 was officially delayed, NueMD conducted a survey of 1,300 healthcare professionals to gauge their attitudes towards ICD-10.

Is it time to reassess your revenue cycle management strategy?

Sponsored by Canopy Partners

When the dust settles from all the recent activity and changes in the healthcare environment, it will soon become clear that there has been a major shift in the way healthcare is practiced, measured, and compensated.

Effects of the Most Recent Reimbursement Cuts to Diagnostic Imaging

VMG

The ever changing landscape of outpatient diagnostic imaging is compelling operators to have a keen understanding of market conditions in order to appropriately assess the potential return on investment on capital investments to upgrade or replace major imaging equipment. 

The Knowns and the Unknowns

What do we really know? As former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld once said: “We know there are known knowns; there are things we know we know.

Deadline Looms for “High Risk” Enrollees

According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, there is a significant segment of high risk individuals with pre-existing medical conditions currently enrolled in a federal health insurance program that is slated to close on March 31, 2014. This federal program was created shortly after the 2010 health law was passed to offer assistance to those people who couldn’t get coverage from commercial insurers because of their pre-existing medical conditions. There was $5 billion in funding set aside to cover this group’s medical claims through December 31, 2013. 

Feds Seize Records in Zwanger-Pesiri Medicare Probe

According to an article published in NewsDay, Federal agents raided the corporate headquarters of Zwanger-Pesiri Radiology in Lindenhurst on Tuesday, March 11, seizing the records of the business that operates 12 medical offices on Long Island, NY. 

Economics

Leaked HHS budget reveals 30% cuts, elimination of many core services

RadNet leaders discuss rationale behind blockbuster $103M iCAD AI acquisition

Interventional radiologists ‘markedly’ increase billing for nonprocedural work, despite drop in overall doc count

Radiologists call for new billing codes to reward work outside of interpreting images

Radiology practice reaches in-network agreement with UnitedHealthcare 9 months after terminating contract