Dear AuntMinnie Member,
Just as breast MRI is starting to get rolling, third-party payors in the U.S. are throwing a wrench into the works by refusing to reimburse for the use of computer-aided detection (CAD) software with breast MRI scans.
In an article for our MRI Digital Community, contributing writer Cynthia Keen explains how a recent change in reimbursement coding for breast MRI CAD has had the unintended consequence of shutting down payment for the technology. Imaging facilities with heavy breast MRI workloads are reportedly losing ten of thousands of dollars annually in CAD claims that are being rejected by insurance companies.
The development couldn't come at a worse time. More and more women at high risk of developing breast cancer are seeking out breast MRI in response to new guidelines from the American Cancer Society recommending the technique.
At the same time, radiologists are looking to CAD to help deal with the increasing workload, especially because breast MRI studies are complex and take far longer to interpret than screening mammograms.
Some breast MRI advocates have begun lobbying more enlightened payors to change their policies. Seeking a redress through the current procedural terminology (CPT) code system could take years.
Get more details on this developing news story by clicking here, or visit our MRI Digital Community at mri.auntminnie.com.
320-slice CT study
In other news, our CT Digital Community is featuring one of the first clinical papers based on research with a 320-detector-row CT scanner.
Researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston put the machine through its paces, focusing on its ability to perform coronary CT angiography, according an article by staff writer Eric Barnes.
They found that the scanner produced excellent image quality at generally low radiation doses, and the system's 16 cm of coverage per rotation was a definite plus. Learn more about this new technology by clicking here, or visit our CT Digital Community at ct.auntminnie.com.
