While radiologists have served in prominent positions in Washington, DC, in the past, none have ever served as White House fellow and special assistant to the president before the recent appointment of Pat Basu, MD, MBA, as one of 13 men and women to serve in the 2010–2011 class of fellows. An attending radiologist at Stanford University and the VA

Whenever the economic aspects of business get tough, do more with less is a phrase heard everywhere. Of course, doing more with less just means becoming more productive. There is no scarcity of literature on productivity, and some authors claim to have identified more than 20 definitions for productivity. Economists use the term to measure the

It began with the DRA, and ever since, CMS and Congress have set upon outpatient imaging like dogs on a bone, culminating in a new round of cuts to the technical component contained in the health-reform law. As a result, operations at many outpatient-imaging organizations came into acute focus in 2005, and they continue to be scrutinized.

Consider this scenario: You have exercised your duties as a manager over the past several years by cutting costs where possible, but now, you have been ordered to make further administrative cost reductions of 10%, 20%, or even 30%, and you cannot fathom how it will be done. Does this sound familiar?

CMS is proposing a new round of cuts to the imaging technical component by extending the multi-procedural payment reduction (MPPR) across all CT, MRI, and ultrasound studies performed on the same patient in the same day in its proposed rule for the 2011 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule. As mandated by Congress, the discount increased from 25% to 50%

Health-care reform is here, and it’s the DRA all over again (but on steroids). Adjustments to the RVU for equipment utilization have increased from 50% to 62.5% for 2010 and will be capped at 75% for 2011 (for MRI and CT only). On July 1, the reduction in CT, MRI, and ultrasound technical-component reimbursement for contiguous imaging increased

Physicians are in a real bind as fee-for-service reimbursement falls under attack and alternative payment methods (such as bundling and capitation) gain traction in Washington, DC. As of June 18, Medicare Part B claims were being processed with the 21.3% cut mandated by the sustainable growth rate’s formula, and House Democrats demanded legislation

Six interventional radiologists (IRs) associated with Radiological Associates of Sacramento have filed a civil action against Sutter Health Sacramento Sierra Region for barring them from the operating suites at three Sacramento-area hospitals.