The American College of Radiology (ACR) along with other advocacy groups are calling on the federal government to strengthen payment for diagnostic imaging agents, such as radiopharmaceuticals, which play a crucial role in diagnosing diseases like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and prostate cancer. They argue that the current reimbursement system impedes care delivery and creates a disincentive to use advanced diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals. In response, the groups have submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) urging separate payment for these agents. Bipartisan members of the U.S. House and Senate have also introduced companion bills to address this issue. The House Energy and Commerce Committee plans to hold a hearing to discuss the legislation and other policy proposals. Meanwhile, a group of experts at the University of Minnesota is working on a compact system that could potentially make MRI exams more accessible by fitting into the bed of a truck. Additionally, a study in JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging suggests that stress imaging strategies may provide more value in certain scenarios than FFR-CT, a noninvasive evaluation method. Some nuclear cardiology labs still rely on outdated SPECT systems, raising the question of whether it's time for an upgrade.
Thu, 14 Sep 2023 04:01:07 GMT | Radiology Business