Dear AuntMinnie Member,
Radiologists and lawyers usually mix about as well as oil and water. But radiology's near-term future could depend on the efforts of an Alabama attorney who is fighting a one-man battle to overturn legislation that could devastate the independent imaging center industry.
Jim Zeigler is an elder care attorney and self-described Republican activist who has taken issue with the Deficit Reduction Act (DRA) of 2005, legislation enacted earlier this year that makes cuts to a wide range of federal government services. In radiology, the legislation specifically cuts $2.8 billion in Medicare payments for imaging services conducted in out-of-hospital settings.
Mr. Zeigler's beef is with the changes the DRA has made to the way Medicaid calculates how people can qualify for federal nursing home assistance. He might be just another gadfly if it weren't for one fatal flaw in the legislation -- a key difference in the versions of the bills passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives wasn't properly reconciled, as required by the U.S. Constitution.
We're featuring a Q&A interview with Mr. Zeigler in our Imaging Center Digital Community, in which he explains his objections to the DRA and what the radiology community can do to help. Read all about it by clicking here.
In another article we're featuring, medical insurance expert Lloyd Croft provides guidelines on selecting the right kind of malpractice insurance for radiology groups considering a teleradiology service. The insurance requirements for teleradiology can differ greatly from those required for a stationary, onsite radiology group, Mr. Croft writes in his article, which you can view by clicking here.
You can read all these stories and more by visiting the Imaging Center Digital Community, at centers.auntminnie.com.
