Policy & Regulations

This channel includes news coverage of healthcare policy and regulations set by Congress, the states, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and medical associations and societies. 

Alex Azar

HHS yet again extends COVID-19 public health emergency, this time until April

This fourth re-up continues key provisions to help radiologists and other providers navigate the ongoing crisis. 

What radiology practices need to know about 2021 CPT coding changes

In particular, the code for low-dose lung cancer screening has been replaced, with financial implications for physicians. 

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Why it might be time to combine emergency radiology with emergency medicine

Vertically integrating emergency imaging into the ED could create a more efficient and collaborative environment, but it won't be an easy task, one expert recently explained in JACR

quality excellence star stethoscope

CMS approves 5 new Merit-Based Incentive Payment System measures, relieving radiology’s quality crunch

The specialty has seen a decline in available MIPS metrics in recent years, as the feds have "topped out" those with extremely high national performance, experts said. 

Mandating flu shot availability for healthcare workers saves patient lives

Hospitals required by state laws to offer healthcare workers flu shots can expect significantly reduced flu and pneumonia mortality compared with hospitals in states forgoing such mandates.

money maze payment reimbursement

Lawmakers delay RO model again as reps. seek to scale back ‘intensity’ of payment cuts

CMS had originally planned to kick off the mandatory bundled-payment effort in July, but will now punt the go-live date to Jan. 1, 2022. 

Hospital price transparency closing in

Is your organization ready to meet the new federal requirements on hospital price transparency? The policy is set to go live on New Year’s Day. 

Medicaid solidifies value-based drug payments

The revised system gives states greater leeway than they’ve had to cut value-based purchasing deals with pharma companies on innovative but expensive drugs.