- AI
- Molecular Imaging
- CT
- X-Ray
- Ultrasound
- MRI
- Facility Management
- Mammography
Radiologists, Look Out for the Indendent Payment Advisory Board
CHICAGO - Healthcare reform has put pressure on medical imaging spending and promises changes to radiologists’ reimbursements. That you know. But have you heard of the Independent Payment Advisory Board? It could have a serious impact on radiologists, according to one expert.
CHICAGO - Healthcare reform has put pressure on medical imaging spending and promises changes to radiologists’ reimbursements. That you know. But have you heard of the Independent Payment Advisory Board?
This panel, created by last year’s Affordable Care Act, could have serious implications for radiologists in the future, said Bernard King Jr., MD, of the Department of Diagnostic Radiology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, speaking at RSNA Monday.
“It’s going to be a very powerful committee,” he said.
The 15-member board is empowered to make recommendations for Medicare spending cuts that would go into effect automatically unless Congress votes to block them, unlike the Medicare Payment Advisory Committee (MedPAC), which requires lawmaker action to take effect. IPAB is required to make recommendations starting in 2014.
The panel replaces MedPAC and has been characterized as “MedPAC on steroids,” King said.
IPAB is one of the areas where healthcare reform could have long-term implications for radiologists, King said. Radiologists’ reimbursement is “under attack,” with Congress cutting radiology payments in favor of that of primary care physicians. Further, there will be greater pressure on radiologists to be incorporated into hospital systems, and the advancement of imaging technology will be more difficult because of less purchasing and an arduous payment approval process.
“From the government’s perspective, healthcare reform is nothing new,” said King, who outlined the history of government attempts to curb healthcare spending starting in the mid-70s. “But this time around it’s serious for radiologists. The Independent Payment Advisory Board is serious.”
AI Facilitates Nearly 83 Percent Improvement in Turnaround Time for Fracture X-Rays
December 19th 2023In addition to offering a 98.5 percent sensitivity rate in diagnosing fractures on X-ray, an emerging artificial intelligence (AI) software reportedly helped reduce mean turnaround time on X-ray fracture diagnosis from 48 hours to 8.3 hours, according to new research presented at the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) conference.
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.
Can an Emerging PET Radiotracer Enhance Detection of Prostate Cancer Recurrence?
December 14th 2023The use of 68Ga-RM2 PET/MRI demonstrated a 35 percent higher sensitivity rate than MRI alone for the diagnosis of biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer, according to research recently presented at the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) conference.
RSNA 2020: Addressing Healthcare Disparities and Access to Care
December 4th 2020Rich Heller, M.D., with Radiology Partners, and Lucy Spalluto, M.D., with Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, discuss the highlights of their RSNA 2020 session on health disparities, focusing on the underlying factors and challenges radiologists face to providing greater access to care.
Can AI Improve Detection of Extraprostatic Extension on MRI?
December 4th 2023Utilizing a deep learning-based AI algorithm to differentiate between diagnostic and non-diagnostic quality of prostate MRI facilitated a 10 percent higher specificity rate for diagnosing extraprostatic extension on multiparametric MRI, according to research presented at the recent RSNA conference.
Study: Regular Mammography Screening Reduces Breast Cancer Mortality Risk by More than 70 Percent
November 30th 2023Consistent adherence to the five most recent mammography screenings prior to a breast cancer diagnosis reduced breast cancer death risk by 72 percent in comparison to women who did not have the mammography screening, according to new research findings presented at the annual Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) conference.
