Diagnostic Imaging Intelligence Report

The Senate March 26 adjourned for a two-week recess without taking action to avert a 21 percent cut in Medicare physician reimbursement slated for April 1.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has proposed that there is enough available evidence to show that magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) should be covered under the Medicare program.

For diagnostic imaging providers nationwide, the landmark health care reform legislation bill (H.R. 3590) signed into law by President Obama on March 23 will usher in more changes to their Medicare payment rates, an expansion of self-referral disclosures, and expanded coverage of testing for prevention.

Manufacturers of medical imaging equipment should work with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ensure specific safeguards are in place to reduce unnecessary patient exposure to ionizing radiation, a group of industry and physician stakeholders said March 30.

The passage of comprehensive health care reform legislation in March represents one of the most strategically disruptive events for U.S. health care providers in the last half a century.

Griffin Hospital in Derby, Conn., said March 29 that it has notified nearly 1,000 of its patients that their medical records were apparently breached earlier this year by a radiologist who was formerly affiliated with the hospital.

Hologic Inc. (Bedford, Mass.) has entered into a settlement agreement with Ethicon Endo-Surgery Inc. (EES), a Johnson & Johnson company, over patent disputes.

Given Imaging (Yoqneam, Israel) said April 1 that it has completed its previously announced acquisition of privately held Sierra Scientific Instruments for $35 million in cash.

Affirming an earlier proposed coverage decision, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has determined that Medicare will cover positron emission tomography (PET) scans to identify bone metastasis of cancer only under Coverage With Evidence Development (CED).

The 10 stocks in the G-2 Reports’ Diagnostic Imaging Index rose by an unweighted average of 11 percent in the four weeks ended March 26, 2010, with nine stocks climbing and one falling.

The chairmen of the Senate Finance and Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions committees have joined other Senate and House lawmakers in urging that changes be made to the proposed “meaningful use” rule to better reflect congressional intent and to ensure health care providers are sufficiently encouraged to adopt electronic health records.