In an article in the March issue of Imaging Economics, Berger acknowledges that his company RadNet strategically acquired 69 imaging centers six months after the act passed into law—for a grand tally of 129 centers regionally clustered throughout the United States—at a time when most imaging center operators were lobbying for the act’s repeal.

While Congress hacks away at imaging reimbursement, radiology benefits management companies are chipping away at volume, and outpatient imaging is likely to feel the brunt of these efforts. An article in Managed Care Week reports Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina will begin requiring prior approval for for non-emergency CT, MRI, magnetic

We have had many readers respond to last month’s editorial on the failure of our elected officials to grasp the malfeasance of the imaging cuts contained in the Deficit Reduction Act and to institute a moratorium. Here, we publish the comments of Kirk Lawson, executive director, River Radiology and Mark Newton, CFO, Hudson Valley Radiologists, who

I have visited some 40 radiology practices or imaging center organizations in the past six months, and a recurring theme in the questions that I am asked regarding business strategy relates to the somewhat elusive notion of leadership in this profession of ours. That is, leadership within these organizations themselves at the imaging center level,

As the new Congress begins a shift toward a more domestic policy-dominated agenda, health care issues are expected to receive substantial attention. While there was hope during the last quarter of 2006 that a bill proposed in the House (HR 5704) as well as one proposed in the Senate (S. 3795) would result in a moratorium on the DRA reimbursement

In light of the Deficit Reduction Act, which went into effect in this month, many imaging practices and physician offices that provide diagnostic imaging services, are looking for ways to reduce their operating costs. Some practices are looking at reducing staff; while others are evaluating every line item of their operating budgets. One line item

Drastic reimbursement reductions for MR and CT in the freestanding setting have made joint ventures with referring physicians more attractive than ever, writes Jerry J. Sokol, JD, and Joshua M. Kaye, JD, health care attorneys with McDermott Will & Emery, in an article in the January issue of Imaging Economics.

With the new calendar year comes the annual opportunity to make our New Year’s resolutions. While these generally tend to be personal pledges for self-improvement such as going to the health club more, getting more organized, or eating better, why not use the fresh year to make some organizational pledges? Here are a few we feel will be essential