The alleged kickback scheme spanned nine years, with Cardiac Imaging Inc. paying physicians "excessive fees" to oversee PET scans, the DOJ said.

“We carefully made this decision in light of the horrifying recent events," CEO Erez Meltzer said in a statement issued Oct. 10. 

“Our organizations are strongly opposed to this newest guidance, which further broadens the already significant discretion health plans had," RBMA and others wrote Oct. 9. 

According to CMS estimates, the code would be responsible for 90% of the overall budget neutrality reduction tied to the conversion factor, advocates noted. 

“This announcement is a step in the right direction," the Radiology Business Management Association said on Friday. 

Cardiac CT has been evolving rapidly in recent years. Brian Ghoshhajra, MD, outlined some of the main trends he has seen at the 2023 annual meeting of the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography.

Under terms of the deal, Cleveland-based University Hospitals will add “hundreds” of new radiology systems across its enterprise. 

The Swiss company is already is in the initial stages of seeking buyers for some of its radiology-related products, Bloomberg reported Tuesday.