Policy & Regulations

This channel includes news coverage of healthcare policy and regulations set by Congress, the states, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and medical associations and societies. 

Thumbnail

FDA issues recall of Philips interventional imaging system due to safety risks

A communication error within the system can reportedly cause loss of imaging functionality mid-procedure.

money stocks

Lawmakers propose radiology-supported bill to address physician shortages

The Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act would expand the number of Medicare-supported residency positions by 14,000 over the next 7 years. 
 

Oregon state house Salem

State passes ‘1st in nation’ bill to block corporate control of radiology practices

Gov. Tina Kotek signed the measure into law on Monday, June 9, over the objection of opponents such as Amazon and the Oregon Ambulatory Surgery Center Association. 

Thumbnail

Appeals court weighs in on radiology providers’ battle over state certificate-of-need law

A three-judge panel heard oral arguments Wednesday in a case pitting Virginia-based Chesapeake Diagnostic Imaging Centers against Sentara Advanced Imaging Solutions. 

SCAI AMA HOD delegates Jeff Marshall, MD, and And Edward Tuohy, MD, explain how the resolution will have AMA advocate for Medicare payment policy that removes high-ticket supplies from OBL physician payments and will enable these to be billed separately.

AMA to advocate for improved Medicare payments for office-based labs

SCAI and other healthcare groups want changes made to how healthcare providers are paid after performing office-based lab procedures. "As much as we love delivering care as doctors, if we are losing money doing something, we cannot sustain it," one cardiologist explained. 

American Medical Association (AMA) President Bruce Scott, MD, an otolaryngologist in Louisville, Kentucky, explains some of the key issues facing physicians, including burnout, growing medical staffing shortages, declining numbers of doctors in rural areas, increasing numbers of patients, large medical education debt payments, the lack of residency positions to train new doctors, and declining Medicare payments, which have declined 33% since 2000. Scott said these issues are also interrelated.

AMA President highlights growing crisis facing U.S. physicians

American Medical Association President Bruce Scott, MD, explains some of the key issues facing physicians, including burnout, growing medical staffing shortages, doctors leaving rural areas, increasing patients and declining Medicare payments.

 

money maze payment reimbursement

Radiology societies urge commercial payers to update coverage for key interventional procedure

A total of 10 professional associations—also representing pain medicine, anesthesia and rehab specialists—recently messaged more than a dozen payers across the U.S. 

cleveland clinic settles for failing to disclose research funding

Insurer illegally forcing women to pay for breast imaging, class action lawsuit contends

Lauren Moody and her attorneys believe the damages against Oscar Health could climb to $30M when factoring in interest, attorney fees and fines. 

Around the web

The new F-18 flurpiridaz radiotracer is expected to help drive cardiac PET growth, but it requires waiting between rest and stress scans. Software from MultiFunctional Imaging can help care teams combat that problem.

News of an incident is a stark reminder that healthcare workers and patients aren’t the only ones who need to be aware around MRI suites.

The ACR hopes these changes, including the addition of diagnostic performance feedback, will help reduce the number of patients with incidental nodules lost to follow-up each year.