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As a follow up to our first blog post regarding the 2017 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule highlights, you will find additional information and details below: New Bundled Mammography Codes CMS will also not make any changes to the technical component (TC) reimbursement for mammography with CAD, but CMS is changing the code definitions to match […]

Last month, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the 2017 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) Final Rule, which updates policies and payment rates for services provided on or after Jan. 1, 2017. CMS released the Proposed Rule for comment on July 7, 2016. Overall, CMS estimates a 2017 conversion factor of $35.8887, […]

While most physician practices and health systems implemented ICD-10 with only minor snares along the way, some groups did report a decline in productivity as coders rushed to become familiar with the new code set. Fortunately, the specialty of radiology only uses about 4 percent of the 68,000 codes within the ICD-10 set, significantly narrowing […]

When President Barack Obama signed the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA) into law, he effectively transformed U.S. healthcare into a system in which value trumps volume. With a new reimbursement framework in place, providers must adjust their business and care models accordingly. Beginning in January 2017, the Merit-based Incentive Payment System […]

As the healthcare industry continues to see widespread consolidation in the forms of mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures and collaborations, it has become imperative for hospital-based radiology groups and outpatient imaging centers to consider their strategy for future growth in their market. Between 2010 and 2013, the American College of Radiology (ACR) Commission on Human Resources’ […]

Consolidation is finally coming to healthcare. After decades of fragmentation, financial pressures, heightened competition and regulatory changes are contributing to an increase in mergers and acquisitions across the spectrum of healthcare stakeholders – payers, health systems, physicians groups and more. According to the 2014 Deloitte Center for Health Solutions study “The Great Consolidation,” the average […]

The era of value-based healthcare is (almost) here. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently proposed a new program that would further shift the nation’s healthcare system away from the fee-for-service payment model, and more towards value-based care. The proposed Quality Payment Program (QPP) is part of the agency’s implementation of the Medicare […]

June 21, 2016 Interoperability has been at the center of many of healthcare’s biggest advances in the past three decades. Radiology, in particular, has been at the forefront of the profession’s pursuit of a unified patient view, beginning with the development of Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) in the early 1990s. Looking ahead, as […]

Federal and state regulators are aggressively taking action to rein in costs and investigate fraud in the healthcare industry. Initiatives to identify non-compliance are more intense than ever, and officials are increasingly focusing on the specialty of radiology.

As the healthcare industry continues to evolve, radiology groups face mounting pressures to simultaneously improve clinical care, increase their bottom line and enhance productivity. Add to the mix changing reimbursement models, better informed healthcare consumers, and rising costs, and it is easy to see why some radiology leaders are scrambling to innovate and generate new […]

By Doug Smith, Managing Partner of Strategic Positioning & Consulting Services Since the Affordable Care Act’s adoption in 2008, the healthcare industry has been inundated with waves of change, ranging from the utilization of electronic health records to ICD-10 implementation to greater patient choice regarding medical decisions. Shifts in industry payment methodologies have been on […]

By Bill Pickart, CEO, Integrated Radiology Partners Healthcare has become one of the most dynamic and competitive industries in the past few years, with M&A activity increasing as physician practices struggle to survive in a rapidly evolving market. According to a recent Business Insider article, the 2015 worldwide M&A volume stands at an all-time high […]

By Bill Pickart, CEO, Integrated Radiology Partners   The application of Quality data has become one of the most critical ways radiology groups can improve accuracy and ensure success in a rapidly changing market. In 2012, the Centers for Disease Control administered a national survey to understand the effectiveness of electronic health record (EHR) systems […]

By Keith Chew, MHA, CMPE, Managing Director of Strategic Positioning and Consulting Services In last month’s installment of the Collaboration Series, we discussed the evolving, varied business models of radiology group collaborations, partnerships, affiliations and acquisitions. This month, we will be focusing on using the collaborative model to improve the quality of care radiology groups […]

Within the past ten years, physician leaders and hospital executives have seen more consolidation in the healthcare industry than ever before. As the industry transitions to a value-based care model, efforts are underway by leaders across the board to reduce costs, improve results and increase hospital-physician alignment. A recent report by Deloitte, “2015 Health Care […]

August 31, 2015 Oct. 1 is rapidly approaching, and no medical specialty, including radiology, will be exempt from ICD-10’s industry-wide overhaul. Read More–>

By Robert Kebbekus, President & COO Oct. 1 is rapidly approaching, and no medical specialty, including radiology, will be exempt from ICD-10’s industry-wide overhaul. A recent article in the Radiology Business Journal warns physicians to “brace themselves,” citing a Journal of American College of Radiology study which predicts a 6-fold increase in the number of […]

July 7, 2015   In last month’s installment of the Patient Empowerment series, we discussed how the rise of the new patient-consumer directly affects radiologists. Part III of this series will provide insight into what radiology practice leaders can do to not only adapt to this trend, but capitalize upon it to better serve their […]

June 16, 2015   In April’s first installment of the Patient Empowerment series, we discussed how increased patient responsibility and widespread use of technology has led to the creation of the new patient-consumer. Part II of this series asks the question: So what? Read More →

  June 16, 2015   In April’s first installment of the Patient Empowerment series, we discussed how increased patient responsibility and widespread use of technology has led to the creation of the new patient-consumer. Part II of this series asks the question: So what?   The rise of patient empowerment has given way to a […]