Maccabi Health Care Services, the second largest HMO in Israel, saw utilization of CT and MR decrease after it implemented American College of Radiology appropriateness criteria in 2002.
Maccabi Health Care Services, the second largest HMO in Israel, saw utilization of CT and MR decrease after it implemented American College of Radiology appropriateness criteria in 2002.
CT use dropped 33% and MR use fell 8.7% in the 23 months after preauthorization requirements were instituted for the two modalities, Dr. Arve Blacher said at the 2004 RSNA meeting. Costs associated with the two procedures represented 1.4% of the provider's healthcare budget.
Referring physicians must phone in MR and CT requests to a central site for authorization. The call center staff responds with either an immediate authorization or a deferral followed by a written explanation.
A phone discussion with a radiologist to explain the decision is available on demand. In disputed cases, the referring physician may still order CT, but MR imaging may not be performed until after the disposition of an appeal.
Stay at the forefront of radiology with the Diagnostic Imaging newsletter, delivering the latest news, clinical insights, and imaging advancements for today’s radiologists.
The Reading Room Podcast: A Closer Look at Remote MRI Safety, Part 2
July 25th 2025In the second of a multi-part podcast episode, Emanuel Kanal, M.D. and Tobias Gilk, MRSO, MRSE, share their perspectives on remote MRI safety protocols for ensuring screening accuracy and adherence to conditional implant guidelines as well as a rapid and effective response to adverse events.
The Reading Room Podcast: Current and Emerging Insights on Abbreviated Breast MRI, Part 2
July 23rd 2025In the second part of a multi-part podcast episode, Stamatia Destounis, MD, Emily Conant, MD and Habib Rahbar, MD, discuss key sequences for abbreviated breast MRI and how it stacks up to other breast cancer screening modalities.
Chest CT for Post-COVID-19 Abnormalities: Nine Takeaways from a Multi-Society Consensus Statement
July 22nd 2025Developed by 21 thoracic radiologists, the new international consensus statement addresses appropriate indications, scan acquisition and keys to reporting for the use of chest CT imaging in evaluating for residual lung abnormalities from COVID-19.