The Massachusetts Health Policy Commission (HPC) has released a report that finds the state's spending and use of medical imaging per beneficiary are higher than those in many other U.S. states.
In its seventh annual report, the HPC found that overall Medicare spending for imaging in the state in 2015 totaled $762.1 million, or $892 per beneficiary -- an amount 14% higher than the $782 per beneficiary spent in the rest of the U.S. In fact, Massachusetts ranks the fourth highest in spending by state (excluding Washington, DC).
The report also found the following:
- Use of imaging services in the state is high compared with other states, with Massachusetts ranking as the 12th highest. Electrocardiogram utilization is particularly high, with one-third greater use of this procedure compared with the rest of the U.S.
- Prices of imaging services range from 3% to 20% higher in Massachusetts compared with the U.S. average: For example, the average price for a common imaging exam, ultrasound of the heart, was $459 in Massachusetts, compared with an average U.S. price of $379, a 21% difference.
- Within Massachusetts, the price per procedure varies even more significantly based on site of service. Prices are typically more than twice as high when the service is provided in a hospital outpatient department or other facility, compared with the same service performed in a doctor's office or other nonfacility setting. For example, the average price for a brain MRI scan with contrast was $699 in a facility setting, compared with $337 in a nonfacility setting.
Although medical imaging is a key part of patient care, it is prone to overuse, the HPC said.
"Spending on unnecessary imaging tests, which comprise a large share of unnecessary care identified in the Choosing Wisely initiative, can often lead to radiation risks and further excess costs due to false positives or follow-up on benign issues," the report stated.
