In-office physician self-referral is the target of a new campaign by the National Coalition for Quality Diagnostic Imaging Services (NCQDIS), a Washington, DC-based lobbying organization.
The NCQDIS is hoping to educate lawmakers and the public about the practice, which is believed to be a major contributor to rising healthcare costs as non-imaging physicians refer examinations to imaging equipment that is owned and operated by their practice.
The number of diagnostic images performed and the costs associated with them are growing, and diagnostic imaging accounts for approximately 11% of medical expenses in the U.S., NCQDIS said.
The organization plans to brief lawmakers and the general public on the distinctions between non-radiologist testing and radiologist testing. The NCQDIS claims that the increasing cost of diagnostic imaging is not caused by overzealous radiologists, but rather by a lack of training and regulation of non-radiologists and by non-radiologists’ interest in financial gain.
For more information about the campaign, contact Cedric Loggins at 713-862-2505, ext. 23, or via e-mail at [email protected].
By AuntMinnie.com staff writersApril 29, 2004
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