- Alliance for Radiation Safety in Pediatric Imaging and Imaging Manufacturers Agree to Collaborate to Standardize Methods to Measure, Report Pediatric Dose from CT Scans
ACR News Release
Representatives from leading medical imaging equipment manufacturers recently met with radiologist, medical physicist and radiologic technologist representatives from the Alliance for Radiation Safety in Pediatric Imaging and agreed to work with the Alliance to create standardized radiation dose estimates and vendor sponsored technologist education opportunities. - UnitedHealthcare Extends Required Imaging Accreditation Deadline to Fourth Quarter 2009
ACR News Release
UnitedHealthcare will now require all out-patient medical imaging providers to have completed and submitted an application to obtain accreditation from ACR or another accrediting body deemed appropriate by UnitedHealthcare, by the fourth quarter of 2009 in order to receive reimbursement for CT, MRI, PET, nuclear medicine, nuclear cardiology and echocardiography services.
- Today on the ACR Blog: Group Practice Leaders Committee
The ACR Board of Chancellors recently formed the Group Practice Leaders Committee. How can the ACR help facilitate leadership challenges both for the College and Radiology Practices? - Summer ACR International Service Newsletter Now Available
The summer 2008 edition of the ACR International Volunteer System (ACRIVS) quarterly e-newsletter Interlink is now available with the latest news regarding how radiologists are getting involved in international service. ACRIVS is an exciting program created to promote the activities and volunteer efforts of ACR members abroad and facilitate the exchange of ideas, materials, equipment, services, and financial support. - HHS Proposes Adoption of ICD-10 Code Sets and Updated Electronic Transaction Standards
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the proposed rule that would replace the current ICD-9 code sets, which is used to report health care diagnoses with the new ICD-10 code sets that is expanded to enable quality reporting, pay-for-performance, bio-surveillance and other critical activities. The new ICD-10 code sets will be implemented effective October 1, 2011. HHS also announced the proposed rule to update the X12 standard by adopting version 5010 for electronic transactions to accommodate the use of ICD-10 codes. - ACR, SBI Release Breast Imaging Training Curriculum
ACR News
The breast imaging training curriculum has been designed principally to provide guidance to academic chairs, residency program directors, and academic section chiefs in assessing and improving their residency and fellowship training programs, and to indicate to residents and breast imaging fellows the topics they need to learn and the experience they should try to acquire during their training.
- CMS FY 2009 IPPS Final Rule — “Stark” Changes to Self-Referral
ACR Daily News Scan
In the dog days of August, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has issued some fresh air for self-referral reform advocates. This overview highlights key changes to the Stark regulations that affect ACR members. - Medicare Imaging Disclosure Sunshine Act of 2008 Introduced in House
ACR Daily News Scan
New York Representative Carolyn McCarthy introduced the “Medicare Imaging Disclosure Sunshine Act of 2008” on August 1. A companion bill (S. 3343) was introduced in the Senate by Iowa Senator Charles Grassley on July 25. - National Voluntary Consensus Standards for Outpatient Imaging Efficiency Comment Period Opens
ACR Daily News Scan
The National Quality Forum (NQF) announced on July 31 that its draft report, National Voluntary Consensus Standards for Outpatient Imaging Efficiency, is available for review and comment. - Summary of Provisions in the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 Which Directly Affect Radiology
ACR Daily News Scan
Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (H.R. 6331) repeals a statutorily mandated 10.6 percent physician payment cut, which became effective July 1, as well as an additional 5 percent cut set for Jan. 1, 2009, and instead extends the current payment rate for the rest of 2008 and a 1.1 percent update through 2009.
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- PET Scan With Pittsburgh Compound B May Aid in Alzheimer Disease Diagnosis
Reuters Health
PET scan using carbon 11-labeled Pittsburgh compound B ((11C)PiB) may allow the noninvasive diagnosis of Alzheimer disease, according to a report in the August 11th online Archives of Neurology. - Palm Beach Physician, Dr. Diparine Maharaj and Spouse Acquitted of Billing Fraud Charges
In March of this year, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported about the indictment and pending criminal trial of Dr. Diparine Maharaj and his wife Jacqueline Gouvea. Dr. Maharaj and his wife were charged of numerous counts of miscoding and upcoding using the CPT coding manual. After a nine-week trial, the jury acquitted Dr. Maharaj and his wife of all charges.
- Stereotactic Radiotherapy Shows Promise in Acromegaly
Reuters Health
Single-session stereotactic radiotherapy (SR) can be a safe and effective treatment for acromegalic patients with residual or recurrent growth-hormone secreting adenoma, Italian researchers report. - MR Angiography Spots Major Carotid Artery Stenoses
Reuters Health
Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) using either time-of-flight or contrast-enhanced approaches is an effective means of diagnosing substantial stenotic and occlusive internal carotid artery disease, according to the results of a meta-analysis. - In-Stent Restenosis Best Corrected with Drug-Eluting Stent
Reuters Health
The risk of restenosis is significantly lower when revascularization is achieved with a paclitaxel-eluting stent than by vascular brachytherapy for a bare metal stent in-stent restenosis, according to the 2-year findings of the TAXUS V-ISR multicenter trial. - Catheter-Directed Embolectomy Life-Saving in Massive Pulmonary Embolism
Reuters Health
Catheter-directed intervention can be life-saving for patients with massive pulmonary embolism (PE) who fail to respond to or cannot receive systemic thrombolysis, according to a report in the August issue of Chest. - U.S. Medicare Panel Questions PET Scan Cancer Data
Reuters Health
A U.S. Medicare advisory panel Wednesday expressed doubts that industry-sponsored data on the use of PET scans to diagnose and evaluate nine cancers could apply more widely to other cancers.
- New Imaging Technique may Enhance Accuracy of Cancer Surgery
Reuters Health
Use of a chemofluorescence technique may allow surgeons to visualize, in real time, cancerous tissue, thereby increasing the precision of their resections, according to animal study findings presented Tuesday at the National Meeting of the American Chemical Society in Philadelphia. - Long-Term Revascularization Rates Lower with Drug-Eluting than Bare Metal Stents
Reuters Health
In a real-world setting, target vessel revascularization rates are lower with drug-eluting stents (DES) than with bare metal stents (BMS), particularly in patients with multivessel coronary artery disease, according to an analysis of the Duke Databank for Cardiovascular Disease. - Value of Chemoradiotherapy in Nonresectable Rectal Cancer Confirmed
Reuters Health
In nonresectable rectal cancer, the addition of chemotherapy to radiotherapy, compared with radiotherapy alone, improves local control and prolongs time to treatment failure and cancer-specific survival, results of a randomized phase III study confirm.
- Image Gently™ Campaign Gains International Momentum
Reuters Health
The American College of Radiology (ACR) is proud to be a founding member of the Alliance for Radiation Safety in Pediatric Imaging, the organization that launched the Image Gently™ campaign to reduce radiation dose used in pediatric imaging. The campaign has had a positive impact on medical practice and is growing exponentially as it attracts national and international attention and participation.
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- Thirty Senators to Finance Committee: No More Imaging Cuts
ACR News Release
Thirty Senators penned a letter November 1 to Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) and Ranking Member Charles Grassley (R-IA) stating their opposition to further cuts to medical imaging as the Committee continues to craft its version of Medicare legislation this fall.
- Imaging Under Attack - Resources to Counter DRA Imaging Cuts
Please visit this special Web section for the latest news regarding government efforts to reduce medical imaging reimbursement and ACR efforts to counter these cuts which would restrict patient access to critical medical imaging care.
- ACR Backs Senate Bill to Protect Seniors' Access to Imaging Care
ACR Daily News Scan
The American College of Radiology (ACR) strongly urges all members of the U.S. Senate to vote for passage of the Access to Medicare Imaging Act of 2007 (S. 1338), the bipartisan legislation calling for a two-year moratorium on drastic medical imaging reimbursement cuts included in the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005...
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