Radiology benefits management firm National Imaging Associates (NIA) has launched a two-year demonstration project for the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to study the appropriateness of advanced imaging utilization.
NIA will assess the utilization of advanced imaging for Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries, examining the impact of physician decision-support tools on mitigating the inappropriate use of advanced imaging services in three modalities: MRI, CT, and nuclear medicine.
The study began in early October and is authorized by the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (MIPPA) of 2008, NIA said. The company is working with multiple physician organizations totaling nearly 650 physicians.
In February of this year, CMS selected NIA and four additional healthcare providers for the demo project: Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, Maine Medical Center Physician-Hospital Organization in Portland, and the University of Wisconsin Medical Foundation in Fitchburg.
