Shortly before her 40th birthday, a woman visits her primary care physician and is advised she should schedule her first mammogram. The patient is puzzled and says she “read somewhere” that she can wait a few years. The physician has heard this before and kindly convinces the patient to comply with the recommendation. She agrees, schedules the mammogram and receives her results before even leaving the imaging facility. 

Multiple patient advocacy groups and healthcare organizations, including the American College of Radiology (ACR) and Society of Breast Imaging (SBI), are asking Congress to extend a federal mandate that requires insurance companies to fully insure annual mammograms for women 40 years old and older. 

According to CMS's latest attestation data, some 4,720 unique diagnostic radiologists have at least one year of participation in Stage 1 or Stage 2 Meaningful Use under their belts. This cohort has made around 9,000 unique attestations since 2011, showing quantifiable and clinically significant use of certified EHR technology.

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) published a report this week about limiting diagnostic errors in healthcare, and the American College of Radiology (ACR) has shared its support of the report’s findings. 

The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) announced its newest draft breast cancer screening recommendations Monday, once again sparking controversy by recommending biennial mammograms for women ages 50 to 74 and giving them a “B” grade.

Screening guidelines and technology tools were up for discussion Sept. 29, when ACR teamed with the Society of Breast Imaging (SBI) to tee up the Oct. 1 start of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. 

H.R. 2914, the Promoting Integrity in Medicare Act of 2013, seeks to curb overutilization of advanced diagnostic imaging by significantly narrowing the types of medical services that would fall under "in-office ancillary services" exception to the Stark Law