Medicare utilization of outpatient imaging services is beginning to shift from private offices to hospital settings, according to a recent study published in the Journal of the American College of Radiology. 

The plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit against IRadimed Corporation, a Winter Springs, Fla.-based developer and manufacturer of MRI-related products, have filed a notice of appeal after the case was dismissed back in May. IRadimed announced the news in a statement, saying it “intends to continue to vigorously defend against plaintiff’s claims.”

CMS published its 2014 Open Payments data this week, detailing payments made by drug and device companies to various healthcare providers. The data includes information on 11.4 million financial transactions made to physicians and teaching hospitals, totaling $6.49 billion.

The California Radiological Society has come out in opposition of a bill that would put new limitations on balance billing in California. Assembly Bill 533 would stop physicians out of a patient’s network from billing that patient for care provided at an in-network facility. 

The headline-grabbing sweep just last week that involved 243 arrests and $712 in false billings highlights the fact that the federal government has put a lot of time and money into cracking down on healthcare fraud in recent years: This focus on healthcare fraud affects radiologists and technologists more than they may realize.

Medicare-eligible hospitals and professionals that failed to demonstrate meaningful use (MU) through the Medicare EHR Incentive Program or Medicaid EHR Incentive Program in 2014 can expect a -2% Medicare payment reduction for 2016, but most radiologists will be granted hardship exceptions. 

As part of a nationwide crackdown on healthcare fraud, federal officials arrested 243 people last week for allegedly participating in schemes that involved approximately $712 million in false billings to Medicare and Medicaid. The arrests included 46 doctors, nurses and other licensed medical professionals. 

As the regulatory and compliance burden on radiology practices grows, practice administrators increasingly are looking to IT to automate as much of the burden as possible.