The Medicare Evidence Development & Coverage Advisory Committee (MedCAC) convened today and representatives from organizations such as the American College of Radiology and the Lung Cancer Alliance went before the committee to contend for national Medicare coverage of low dose CT (LDCT) screening for patients who are at a high risk for lung cancer. Read [...]
A Medicare panel determined that there is not enough evidence to justify annual CT scans to detect early lung cancer in heavy smokers. The CMS's nine-member Medicare Evidence Development and Coverage Advisory Committee voted Wednesday against paying for the screening tool. Read more here.
The use of business analytics may be a relatively new phenomenon in medicine, but it has been used to great effect in other industries for quite some time. Read more here.
Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) increased among hospitals and health systems in 2013, according to a new analysis by Kaufman Hall. Last year, hospitals and health systems announced 98 new combinations, a 3 percent increase from the previous year and a 51 percent increase from 2010, the analysis found. Read more here.
In an innovative and dynamic period for the healthcare industry, high CEO turnover, leaders from outside the traditional realm and C-suite changes bring new skills and fresh blood into hospitals and healthcare systems, according to a Hospitals & Health Networks post by Mary Grayson. Read more here.
SHINE Medical Technologies, Inc. (SHINE), a Wisconsin-based company dedicated to being the world leader in safe, clean, affordable production of medical isotopes, announced today that it has entered into a strategic long-term supply agreement with GE Healthcare, a division of the General Electric Company, for supply of molybdenum-99 (moly-99). This is the first announcement of a [...]
For the evaluation of patients with suspected CAD, the costs of single-photo emission CT were significantly lower than that of PET or coronary CTA, according to new data from the SPARC registry. At 2 years, patients who underwent PET had higher costs and mortality compared with SPECT, and patients who underwent coronary CTA had higher [...]
Things were not looking up for the med tech industry in 2013. A report released today by EP Vantage, "MedTech 2013 In Review," showed worsening market conditions for device makers last year, with mergers and acquisitions taking the biggest hit. Read more here.
The American College of Radiology applauds steps to reign in medical imaging and radiation oncology self-referral included in the President’s Fiscal Year 2015 budget. However, prior authorization for imaging services, also included the FY 2015 budget, is unnecessary and will ultimately raise costs, interfere in the doctor-patient relationship and restrict ready access to imaging care. Read [...]
ECR 2014, which begins on 6 March, is the 20th ECR to be held in Vienna. Four European radiologists, including three members of AuntMinnieEurope.com's editorial advisory board, reflect on their first ECR, why they keep returning, and what changes they have observed, and also reveal their hidden or forgotten gems from Vienna. Read more here.