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.

Lawmakers slam UnitedHealth handling of Change cyberattack amid lingering impact on physician practices
Finance Committee Chairman and Sen. Ron Wyden called the Feb. 21 incident "the biggest cybersecurity disruption to healthcare in American history.”
USPSTF finalizes new breast cancer screening recommendations that ACR says ‘do not go far enough’
The guidelines now urge all women to begin undergoing mammography every other year starting at age 40, with radiologists hoping for an annual recommendation.
Momentum builds as Vermont becomes 23rd state to pass legislation bolstering breast imaging reimbursement
Out-of-pocket charges can range from $234 for a diagnostic mammogram to over $1,000 for a breast MRI, according to a recently commissioned study.
State caps annual healthcare price increases despite opposition from radiologists
Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island and Washington have already established such healthcare cost growth targets.
Disruptions to small practices’ operations remain ‘severe and ongoing’ months after Change cyberattack
Owner UnitedHealth had claimed services would be largely restored by late March, but doc groups such as the MGMA claim things are still a mess.

ACR estimates diagnostic radiology will face 4% Medicare cut, absent congressional action

The college issued a detailed breakdown of the 2024 MPFS, offering insight into the “complex” formula for how much the specialty stands to lose.

July 28, 2023

American College of Radiology opposes focus of US House bill aimed at increasing imaging price transparency

Rep. Mike Carey introduced the Imaging Services Price Transparency Act July 25, hoping to better inform patients about services provided by the specialty.

July 27, 2023

Cigna, one of the nation’s largest health insurance providers, announced new priorities for its capital deployment, including steering an additional $450 million into Cigna Ventures.

Cigna violated the law by denying claims for imaging and other services in bulk, lawsuit alleges

Plaintiff attorneys are asking for damages in excess of $5 million, not including interest and other costs, and seeking class-action status.

July 25, 2023

Incorrect CT protocol leads to radiologist overlooking liver cancer, patient’s untimely death

The physician had assigned the standard, four-phase protocol for liver imaging, but the radiographer instead performed a single, portal-venous phase only.

July 25, 2023

Twenty-three percent of cardiologists have a net worth of more than $5 million, No. 5 among all specialties, according to a new report. A majority of cardiologists also said they have had no significant financial losses in the last year. What are cardiologists paid? How much do cardiologists make?

Nanox raises $30M; ViewRay begins pulling stock from Nasdaq, plus more radiology vendor news

Also, MITA urges states to fix breast screening coverage gap, Philips announces Q2 earnings results, and Aidoc inks partnerships with two large health systems.

July 25, 2023

Medical malpractice gavel diagnostic error mistake stethoscope

Diagnostic errors linked to nearly 800,000 deaths or serious injuries per year in US alone

Five conditions—lung cancer, stroke, sepsis, pneumonia and venous thromboembolism—caused the most frequent serious harm.

July 24, 2023

American College of Radiology endorses 2 recent policy proposals to expand imaging pay

ACR highlighted a CMS proposal to grant greater access to PET for Alzheimer's detection, along with a Medicaid-related bill introduced in the U.S. House.

July 21, 2023

FDA clears augmented reality platform that creates 3D models via CT scans

The Ohio-based startup also recently scored $15M in funding from the Mayo and Cleveland clinics and GE Healthcare.

July 21, 2023

Around the web

Cardiovascular Business

Medicare drops AUC requirement for advanced imaging, ASNC celebrates

"This was an unneeded burden, which was solely adding to the administrative hassles of medicine," said American Society of Nuclear Cardiology President Larry Phillips.

Cardiovascular Business

Cardiology, radiology groups urge insurance provider to rethink imaging policy

SCAI and four other major healthcare organizations signed a joint letter in support of intravascular ultrasound.

Cardiovascular Business

Radiology AI company gains FDA clearance for new CT offerings focused on PE, stroke

The newly approved AI models are designed to improve the detection of pulmonary embolisms and strokes in patients who undergo CT scans.

Policy & Regulations

Lawmakers slam UnitedHealth handling of Change cyberattack amid lingering impact on physician practices

USPSTF finalizes new breast cancer screening recommendations that ACR says ‘do not go far enough’

Momentum builds as Vermont becomes 23rd state to pass legislation bolstering breast imaging reimbursement

State caps annual healthcare price increases despite opposition from radiologists

Disruptions to small practices’ operations remain ‘severe and ongoing’ months after Change cyberattack

Around the web