Dear AuntMinnie Member,
The Republican effort to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA) came to an ignominious end late Monday night when two more GOP senators announced they would not support the Better Care Reconciliation Act being put forth by Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), making it impossible for McConnell to secure enough votes needed for passage.
Republicans are now back to square one in their attempt to repeal and replace the ACA. Options being considered include repealing the ACA now and coming up with an alternative later. But such an effort isn't likely to be successful, given that it would have to overcome the opposition of a united front of Democrats as well as concerns from moderate Republicans worried about the blowback from taking insurance away from Americans without giving them something to replace it with.
The question is, now what? Healthcare providers, payors, and patients are now stuck with an insurance system that doesn't have the support of the administration that's supposed to be running it. What's more, it's unlikely that Republicans will want to tweak the ACA to make it work better, as this would undercut their argument that the ACA is failing. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he would "let Obamacare fail," but even this approach has political risks.
So, we appear to be in for a sustained period of uncertainty, and it's anyone's guess how it will all turn out. Read our coverage of the latest news by clicking here, and check back in our Imaging Leaders Community at leaders.auntminnie.com for ongoing coverage.
While you're in the community, be sure to check out our analysis of the 2018 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS), released late last week. While the proposed MPFS includes a 1% cut to radiology services, it's not as bad as it could have been -- read more by clicking here.
Gadolinium retention by GBCA
The more we learn about the issue of gadolinium retention from MRI contrast, the more it seems like peeling back the layers of an onion.
The latest news comes from researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, who tested the levels of gadolinium retention for several brands of gadolinium-based contrast agent (GBCA) products. In an animal study, they found that not all GBCAs were created equal -- some were retained at higher levels than others, while one agent registered barely any levels at all.
Learn more by clicking here, or visit our MRI Community at mri.auntminnie.com.
Your first night of call
Finally, be sure to check out our latest column by Dr. Barry Julius of RadsResident.com. Dr. Julius addresses night call, that rite of passage for any second-year radiology resident. Read his tips for surviving your first night of call by clicking here.
