Dear AuntMinnie Member,
A radiologist in western New York state was arrested this week on charges that he distributed prescription pharmaceuticals to several acquaintances, including a prostitute he allegedly met at a local strip club.
Dr. Albert R. Cowie of Amherst was arrested after a complaint was filed on April 14 in a federal court. The complaint charges him with using his license to prescribe pharmaceuticals to procure drugs such as oxycodone and hydrocodone, which he allegedly then gave to several acquaintances.
Federal investigators say the case is an example of how powerful narcotics find their way to people with serious opiate addictions through the actions of medical professionals. Read more by clicking here.
SGR fix is in
At long last, the U.S. Congress has finally passed a long-term fix to the flawed sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula governing reimbursement in the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule.
As almost anyone in the healthcare industry knows, every year the SGR formula mandates severe cuts in physician reimbursement. And every year Congress has kicked the can down the road by passing short-term legislation postponing the cuts.
But this year is different, apparently, as both the Senate and House of Representatives have passed a bill that would permanently eliminate the SGR. The legislation now awaits the signature of President Barack Obama, who has said he will sign it. Get the rest of the story by clicking here.
New MICI numbers
In other news, radiology administrators continue to express optimism regarding their future business prospects, according to the latest numbers from the Medical Imaging Confidence Index (MICI).
MICI numbers for the second quarter of 2015 show that administrator sentiment continues to hold up after hitting rock bottom in the first quarter of 2014. Most of the MICI categories have shown growth, according to the new numbers. Learn more about the index by clicking here.
More HIMSS coverage
Finally, the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) meeting is wrapping up this week in Chicago, and we've been featuring coverage of the conference in our Imaging Informatics Community. Check out one of our final feature articles from the show, on the results of the HIMSS Mobile Technology Survey, by clicking here; for complete coverage, visit the community at informatics.auntminnie.com.
