NYT: Double CT Scans Unnecessary, Cost Medicare $25 million a year
Hundreds of hospitals across the country needlessly exposed patients to radiation by giving patients doubled-up CT chest scans a front page article in Saturday’s New York Times found.
Hundreds of hospitals across the country needlessly exposed patients to radiation by giving patients doubled-up CT chest scans a front page article in Saturday’s New York Times found.
Assessing Medicare outpatient claims for 2008 (the most recent data available), Times reporters Walt Bogdanich and Jo Craven McGinty found that about 75,000 patients received double cans, one using iodine contrast, one without. Each scan exposed patients to 350 times the radiation of a traditional x-ray – the primary concern of physicians commenting for the Time – and cost Medicare $25 million.
The Times found that more than 200 hospitals had done double scans on more than 30 percent of their Medicare patients, with scan rates as high as 60 percent to 80 percent at some hospitals. Academic medical centers, the Times reported, have double-scan rates of less than one percent and sometimes zero. Radiologists interviewed said double scans are needed only in rare cases.
Newsletter
Stay at the forefront of radiology with the Diagnostic Imaging newsletter, delivering the latest news, clinical insights, and imaging advancements for today’s radiologists.
Where Things Stand with the Radiologist Shortage
June 18th 2025A new report conveys the cumulative impact of ongoing challenges with radiologist residency positions, reimbursement, post-COVID-19 attrition rates and the aging of the population upon the persistent shortage of radiologists in the United States.
How to Successfully Launch a CCTA Program at Your Hospital or Practice
June 11th 2025Emphasizing increasing recognition of the capability of coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) for the evaluation of acute and stable chest pain, this author defuses common misperceptions and reviews key considerations for implementation of a CCTA program.
The Reading Room: Artificial Intelligence: What RSNA 2020 Offered, and What 2021 Could Bring
December 5th 2020Nina Kottler, M.D., chief medical officer of AI at Radiology Partners, discusses, during RSNA 2020, what new developments the annual meeting provided about these technologies, sessions to access, and what to expect in the coming year.
Mammography AI Platform for Five-Year Breast Cancer Risk Prediction Gets FDA De Novo Authorization
June 2nd 2025Through AI recognition of subtle patterns in breast tissue on screening mammograms, the Clairity Breast software reportedly provides validated risk scoring for predicting one’s five-year risk of breast cancer.
