Dear AuntMinnie Member,
Diagnostic imaging centers in the U.S. are taking a cold hard look at their future under the harsh reimbursement climate of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (DRA).
Many have already begun to implement contingency plans to compensate for the $2.8 billion in cuts to nonhospital Medicare reimbursement that are expected to occur over the next five years.
A new article in our Imaging Center Digital Community by staff writer Jonathan S. Batchelor profiles the plans of several imaging facilities hoping to survive in the post-DRA landscape.
For some centers, survival means postponing expansion plans and cutting back on capital expenditures. Others are retooling to focus on imaging procedures that escaped the most drastic cuts, such as 3D ultrasound and digital radiography. A few are even pondering mergers, acquisitions, or joint ventures with hospitals.
What path will your imaging facility take? Check your strategy by clicking here.
Another article we're featuring in the community this week concerns legislation pending in California that would ban part-time equipment leasing arrangements, in which referring physicians contract with imaging facilities to lease scanner time and bill insurers directly. These deals have become increasingly popular, but opponents see them as just a more sophisticated physician self-referral scheme. Find out how they could be banned in the Golden State by clicking here.
For both articles, and the rest of our coverage of the diagnostic imaging center industry, visit our Imaging Center Digital Community at centers.auntminnie.com.
