Journal of the American College of Radiology
Volume 9, Issue 1 , Pages 27-32 , January 2012

Trends in the Utilization of Outpatient Advanced Imaging After the Deficit Reduction Act

  • David C. Levin, MD

      Affiliations

    • Center for Research on Utilization of Imaging Services, Department of Radiology, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
    • HealthHelp, Inc, Houston, Texas
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author and reprints: David C. Levin, MD, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Department of Radiology, Main 1090, Philadelphia, PA 19107
    • ,
  • Vijay M. Rao, MD

      Affiliations

    • Center for Research on Utilization of Imaging Services, Department of Radiology, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
    • ,
  • Laurence Parker, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Center for Research on Utilization of Imaging Services, Department of Radiology, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

References 

  1. Moore AV . Radiology and the health care reform debate . J Am Coll Radiol . 2006;3:569–570
  2. Moser JW . The Deficit Reduction Act of 2005: policy, politics, and impact on radiologists . J Am Coll Radiol . 2006;3:744–750
  3. Levin DC , Rao VM , Parker L . Physician orders contribute to high-tech imaging slowdown . Health Aff (Millwood) . 2010;29:189–195
  4. Levin DC , Rao VM , Parker L , Frangos AJ . The disproportionate effects of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 on radiologists' private office MRI and CT practices compared with those of other physicians . J Am Coll Radiol . 2009;6:620–625
  5. Patti JA . The economic environment of 2006: how safe is your practice and what you can do to protect it . J Am Coll Radiol . 2007;4:97–101
  6. US Government Accountability Office . Medicare: trends in fees, utilization, and expenditures for imaging services before and after implementation of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005(GAO-08-1102R) . http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d081102R.pdf Accessed December 1, 2009
  7. Moser JW , Hastreiter DM . 2007 survey of radiologists: source of income and impact of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 . J Am Coll Radiol . 2009;6:408–416
  8. National Electrical Manufacturers Association . NEMA continues its push to delay Medicare imaging cuts . http://www.nema.org/media/pr/20061109a.cfm?renderForPrint=1 Accessed June 7, 2011
  9. Renard SR . The Deficit Reduction Act: what we can do about it (Diagn Imaging Scan) . http://radiology-services.com/pdf/DI_scan_column_pdf_June_06.pdf Accessed June 7, 2011
  10. American College of Radiology . Moran report: nearly nine out of 10 imaging procedures affected by DRA cuts would be reimbursed below cost of providing the exam . http://www.acr.org/secondarymainmenucategories/newspublications/featuredcategories/currentACRnews/archive/moran_report091806.aspx?css=print Accessed June 7, 2011
  11. Radiological Society of North America . Physicians seek relief in DRA's second year . http://www.rsna.org/publications/rsnanews/January-2008/physicians_feature.cfm Accessed June 7, 2011
  12. Smith GG . Imaging reimbursement cuts may harm rural practices, patients. RSNA News . http://www.rsna.org/publications/rsnanews/may06/cuts_may06.cfm Accessed June 7, 2011
  13. Legislative watch: AMIC perseveres in battling imaging cuts . http://www.imagingbiz.com/articles/view/legislative-watch-amic-perseveres-in-battling-imaging-cuts Accessed June 7, 2011
  14. Brune B . Sector prepares for the worst; medical imaging businesses brace for cuts to Medicare (Houston Chronicle) . http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/4053594.html Accessed June 7, 2011
  15. Michael S . Imaging volume dip could signal access problems, alliance says (Diagn Imaging) . http://www.diagnosticimaging.com/display/article/113619/1794712 Accessed June 7, 2011
  16. Levin DC , Rao VM , Parker L , Frangos AJ , Intenzo CM . Recent payment and utilization trends in radionuclide myocardial perfusion imaging: comparison between self-referral and referral to radiologists . J Am Coll Radiol . 2009;6:437–441
  17. Sternberg S . Cardiologists sue Sebelius over Medicare fee cuts (USA Today) . http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-12-23-heart29_ST_N.htm Accessed June 21, 2011
  18. Levin DC , Rao VM , Parker L , Frangos AJ , Sunshine JH . Bending the curve: The recent marked slowdown in growth of noninvasive diagnostic imaging . AJR Am J Roentgenol . 2011;196:W25–W29
  19. Brenner DJ , Hall EJ . Computed tomography—an increasing source of radiation exposure . N Engl J Med . 2007;357:2277–2284
  20. Fazel R , Krumholz HM , Wang Y , et al.  Exposure to low-dose ionizing radiation from medical imaging procedures . N Engl J Med . 2009;361:849–857
  21. Smith-Bindman R , Miglioretti DL , Larson EB . Rising use of diagnostic medical imaging in a large integrated health system . Health Aff (Millwood) . 2008;27:1491–1502
  22. Einstein AJ . Radiation protection of patients undergoing cardiac computed tomographic angiography . JAMA . 2009;301:545–547
  23. American College of Radiology . Appropriateness Criteria® . http://www.acr.org/secondarymainmenucategories/quality_safety/app_criteria.aspx Accessed August 23, 2011
  24. Hendel RC , Berman DS , Di Carli MF , et al.  ACCF/ASNC/ACR/AHA/ASE/SCCT/SCMR/SNM 2009 appropriate use criteria for cardiac radionuclide imaging . Circulation . 2009;119:e561–e587
  25. Hendel RC , Patel MR , Kramer CM , et al.  ACCF/ACR/SCCT/SCMR/ASNC/NASCI/SCAI/SIR 2006 appropriateness criteria for cardiac computed tomography and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging . J Am Coll Cardiol . 2006;48:1475–1497
  26. Levin DC , Rao VM , Kaye A . Turf wars in radiology: recent actions against self-referral by state governments, commercial payers, and Medicare—hope is on the horizon . J Am Coll Radiol . 2008;5:972–977

 This study was funded in part by a grant from the American College of Radiology (Reston, Va).

PII: S1546-1440(11)00484-4

doi: 10.1016/j.jacr.2011.08.021

Journal of the American College of Radiology
Volume 9, Issue 1 , Pages 27-32 , January 2012

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