Dear AuntMinnie Member,
A Florida imaging center will pay $3 million to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to settle allegations that it entered into agreements with referring physicians that violated laws prohibiting physician self-referral for Medicare claims.
In a June 8 press release, the DOJ said that the center had signed leasing and professional agreements with referring physicians that allegedly violated the Stark law, as well as federal antikickback statutes. As part of the deal, two whistleblower radiologists who worked at the center will receive $600,000 in payments.
The DOJ said the settlement was part of a larger crackdown on Medicare fraud, but is it a sign that the feds will be putting more leasing and referral deals under the microscope? Only time will tell, but for now you can read the story by clicking here, or visit our Imaging Leaders Digital Community at leaders.auntminnie.com.
CT volume shifts to hospitals
Meanwhile, new market research has found that hospitals are handling an increasing share of CT procedure volume, while patient volume in imaging centers not affiliated with hospitals is declining.
Hospital-owned facilities are typically handling 20% more patient volume per scanner compared to freestanding centers, according to the new report from market research firm IMV Medical Information Division, and hospital-affiliated sites are handling nearly double the volume of sites without hospital ties.
The report also includes other key data points on the CT market, including the lengthening replacement cycle for scanners and a decline in the share of procedures using contrast. Learn more by clicking here.
Be sure to visit our CT Digital Community next week for daily coverage of the International Society for Computed Tomography (ISCT) meeting in San Francisco -- just go to ct.auntminnie.com for the latest developments from this important conference.
Disclosure notice: AuntMinnie.com is owned by IMV, Ltd.
