Dear Digital X-Ray Insider,
If your imaging facility is still using computed radiography (CR) -- and many still are -- you should know that Medicare reimbursement for CR-based x-ray studies will be reduced starting in 2018.
The reduction is part of the U.S. government's budget legislation, passed at the end of 2015. The law will reduce CR payments by 7% starting in 2018, and then by 10% in 2023.
Sites using film-based x-ray will see an even greater payment reduction of 20% starting in 2017. But that provision isn't expected to have as big of an impact, as few medical facilities in the U.S. are still using analog-based x-ray, according to market research firm IMV Medical Information Division.
The goal of the provision is to speed up the transition of U.S. healthcare facilities from analog and CR-based x-ray into digital radiography (DR). But it could result in a hefty price tag for sites that have to accelerate their upgrade plans. Learn more about the legislation in our Insider Exclusive, which Digital X-Ray Insiders can read days before the rest of our membership.
In other news, we're highlighting a fascinating article about French researchers who used DR to analyze voodoo dolls, also known as "ouangas," in Haiti. A group led by noted archaeologist Dr. Philippe Charlier, PhD, of Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines University conducted DR exams on a half-dozen or so dolls found in a cemetery in Port-au-Prince.
They learned that the inside of the dolls contained a number of mysterious items, including needles, staples, and even zippers. We can only guess at what it all means, but you can view the images by clicking here.
A new market research report has pegged the value of the global digital x-ray market at $6.15 billion in 2015, a figure that includes digital mammography and dental systems in addition to conventional x-ray. The report predicts double-digit growth through 2020. Learn more by clicking here.
Could the use of a gaming console help imaging facilities create better x-rays? Maybe, if this study from RSNA 2015 pans out. Read how Washington researchers integrated a Microsoft Kinect console with an x-ray system by clicking here.
Click on the links below for the rest of the news in the Digital X-Ray Community, and be sure to let me know if you have any story ideas in mind.
