Healthcare payors are clamping down on inappropriate utilization of imaging services through initiatives such as accreditation and certification programs, according to a new report released today by healthcare consulting firm Avalere Health.
The study notes that payors' recent embrace and expansion of accreditation and certification programs are reinforcing efforts by physicians and imaging facilities to ensure high-quality staffing, equipment, and imaging protocols. Some payors require that imaging facilities submit proof of accreditation as a condition for payment.
The Washington, DC-based group's report outlines approaches by physicians, health insurers, and equipment manufacturers to offer patients appropriate and efficient imaging services. The study primarily recommends updated and more comprehensive appropriateness guidelines, enhanced accreditation and certification programs, and expanded education and training for the benefit of providers, image quality, and patient care.
The report comes in the same week the U.S. Senate passed a bill that postpones for 18 months a 10.6% pay cut to physicians for Medicare services. The legislation also includes provisions for the accreditation of imaging providers, a move that radiology advocates believe could help address the growing problem of imaging overutilization.
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