Diagnostic Imaging Associates billed CMS for both service components, but the hospital was ineligible for reimbursement, the DOJ said.

A jury sided with the estate of 76-year-old Ohioan Ronald Nielson, who was sent home without immobilization to protect his injury. 

Meanwhile, MedPAC has recommended a pay hike for physicians, drawing praise from the American Medical Association. 

“People with Medicare deserve to ... be able to get the care they need without excessive burden or delays," the agency's deputy administrator said.

University of Iowa Health Care also has agreed to mandate that physicians receive training on Medicare's requirements for reimbursement in a teaching setting. 

Others such as the AMA and the American Lung Association similarly blasted the decision, which could jeopardize coverage for preventative care.

Delays in determinations were "harming members’ practices" by holding up payments for services, the ACR said. 

ACR and RBMA want lawmakers to reintroduce the Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act to begin addressing a growing deficit of docs.

The DOJ first filed suit more than a year ago, arguing the $8B, all-cash deal would stifle competition in the claims-processing and health insurance marketplaces. 

Meanwhile, the commission called such agreements an “exploitative practice that suppresses wages, hampers innovation, and blocks entrepreneurs from starting new businesses."