The agency downgraded certain notes to “CC,” indicating the obligations are “highly vulnerable” to nonpayment, with default “expected to be a virtual certainty.”

Imaging advocacy groups including AdvaMed recently implored the U.S. General Services Administration to postpone the deal. 

Such insurers are slated to collect more than $7 trillion over the next decade, with MA now accounting for over 50% of all Medicare enrollment. 

“It is critical that radiology participates in this survey effort to provide updated and accurate practice costs that are representative of our specialty," ACR urged.

Lobbyists for physician groups have testified against the proposal, concerned it could punish providers for not relaying meaningless findings to patients. 

The Neiman Imaging Comorbidity Index was created using claims from over 10.5 million individuals covered by a large commercial payer.

Eden Prairie, Minnesota-based Consulting Radiologists Ltd. allegedly terminated senior staffer Brent Bullis, MD, after he raised patient safety concerns. 

For this update to be finalized, the American Medical Association had to determine FFR_CT Analysis met certain requirements in terms of its overall impact on patient care. John Farquhar, CEO of HeartFlow, described the news as "a win for everyone involved, most notably patients."