Envision inks deal to keep radiologists in-network; practice closes, plus more company news
Envision Healthcare has inked a deal to keep its radiologists and other docs in-network with the Aetna health plan, the private equity-backed multispecialty group announced March 31.
With the multi-year agreement, patients on the insurer’s commercial and Medicare Advantage plans will have continued access to Envision’s national network of physicians. Along with radiologists, the pact also pertains to anesthesiologists, emergency medicine specialists, neonatologists and surgeons, among others.
“Crucial to our mission of caring for patients when they need it most is ensuring they have access to affordable medical treatment, and our agreement with Aetna helps make that happen for millions of Aetna members across the country,” CEO Jim Rechtin said in a statement.
Based in Nashville, the group previously estimated that it employed some 25,000 physicians and advanced-practice providers spanning 45 states and the District of Columbia. That includes a team of 900 radiologists performing 10 million reads annually across 570 facilities, according to its website.
Back in 2021, UnitedHealthcare knocked Envision providers out of its insurance network, citing “egregiously high” rates. Envision later sued the insurance giant over the decision.
Radiology practice shutters
Open Systems Imaging of Chico, California, is shuttering after more than 20 years in business, local media reported March 30.
The company first launched in 1995, according to its website, and had five imaging center locations across the Golden State. CEO Ken Bishop blamed declining reimbursement for the closure, alongside rising costs for labor, equipment, taxes and supplies.
“Literally every vendor that services the company has raised their prices because of inflation, yet the insurance companies and government payers have reduced what they can collect for their services. It’s unsustainable,” he told the Chico Enterprise-Record.
Bishop said most of the company’s 24 employees have found work elsewhere. He plans to continue managing two other imaging centers located in South California and left open the possibility of resurrecting the Chico outpost.
“If we can restructure our cost basis or work to transition to another provider, it will reopen,” he told the news outlet.
Practice leader retires after 40 years
Radiologist Bernard Jay, MD, is retiring at the end of April after more than 40 years leading a practice in Connecticut.
Jay, 77, first founded Madison Radiology in 1979 and over the years has helped treat close to 500,000 patients, diagnosing “thousands of cases” of breast cancer. Madison Radiology recently joined up with Guilford Radiology and will continue operating under the same name, CT Insider reported March 31.
“It makes me feel good because my practice is going to continue,” he said. “You got two great practices here that service this whole community.”
Rayus updates equipment
And finally, private equity-backed Rayus Radiology announced March 31 that its adding a new cutting-edge system to its facility in Taylorsville, Utah.
The wide-bore 3T MRI scanner will allow its providers to reduce scan times while bolstering access, the company noted. Its equipment upgrade comes after Rayus just recently added two new locations in Utah, operating in Springville and Riverton.
Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.