Medicare per-beneficiary spending on medical imaging has declined in nearly every state since 2006, according to a new study conducted by the Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute and published in the October 2015 issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology.
Dr. Andrew Rosenkrantz and colleagues used Medicare Part B data to examine imaging spending between 2004 and 2012. They calculated the annual average spending per beneficiary nationally and on a state-by-state basis, including the District of Columbia.
Nationally, Medicare Part B imaging spending per beneficiary increased by about 7.8% annually between 2004 and its peak in 2006. Spending then decreased by about 4.4% annually between 2006 and 2012, the researchers found (AJR, Vol. 205:4, pp. 817-821).
"Several states' declines far outpace the national decline," Rosenkrantz said in a statement released by the American College of Radiology (ACR). "Only Oregon and Maryland, which have federal waivers to support unique state health plans, showed increased spending. Ongoing policy initiatives should consider access and clinical outcomes effects due to this variation and widespread reduction in imaging spending."
