Revenue & Reimbursement

Healthcare reimbursement is payment that a hospital, diagnostic imaging facility, subspecialty department or healthcare providers receive for performing a service. This also includes individual radiologist or cardiologist reimbursement and billing and coding rules for submitting claims.

VIDEO: The importance of the Physician Practice Information Survey and its impact on radiology reimbursements

Linda Wilgus, CPA, CMPE, executive director and chief financial officer of Northwest Radiology Network and a past president of the Radiology Business Management Association (RBMA), explains the importance of the Physician Practice Information Survey CMS in calculating radiology reimbursements.

The ASNC is one of several medical imaging societies asking Congress to repeal the appropriate use criteria (AUC) criteria mandate. They say it poses issues for clinicians and is becoming outdated by changes in CMS payment systems. The AUC requirements call for documentation using CVMS authorized software in order to show advanced imaging such as nuclear and CT is justified, or else Medicare payments might be withheld.

American Society of Nuclear Cardiology urges Congress to speed prior authorizations, repeal AUC mandate 

Over the past few weeks, members of ASNC’s Health Policy Committee have held meetings with their members of Congress.

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Imaging industry advocate slams feds’ failure to address PET coverage gap in recent ruling

The Society for Nuclear Medicine & Molecular Imaging expressed "strong opposition" following CMS' decision, arguing there is no evidence to support limiting pay for such scans. 

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American College of Radiology, patient advocacy groups urge feds to fix CTC coverage gap

ACR and others have submitted a formal national coverage determination request, asking the agency to address payment gaps for virtual colonoscopies. 

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CMS delays start of Radiation Oncology Alternative Payment Model yet again

The mandatory bundled payment initiative was slated to kick off Jan. 1, 2023, following numerous delays, but will now launch on a to-be-determined date.

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S&P downgrades radiology provider Envision Healthcare, citing ongoing cash crunch

Analysts expect the Nashville, Tennessee-based physician firm's liquidity position to "meaningfully deteriorate" over the next year under its current operating structure. 

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Moody’s upgrades RadNet’s outlook to ‘positive’ amid full recovery from COVID-19, improved financials

Analysts highlighted the imaging giant's “strong” competitive position, multifaceted revenue streams through the delivery of various imaging modalities, and payer diversity. 

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DBT coverage mandates increase use but have no impact on patients’ out-of-pocket costs

More than a dozen states have required private payers to cover digital breast tomosynthesis, producing a $39 decrease in average price for the exam. 

Around the web

The patient, who was being cared for in the ICU, was not accompanied or monitored by nursing staff during his exam, despite being sedated.

The nuclear imaging isotope shortage of molybdenum-99 may be over now that the sidelined reactor is restarting. ASNC's president says PET and new SPECT technologies helped cardiac imaging labs better weather the storm.

CMS has more than doubled the CCTA payment rate from $175 to $357.13. The move, expected to have a significant impact on the utilization of cardiac CT, received immediate praise from imaging specialists.