David Harlow Speaks with Healthcare Innovation Leaders
Category Archives: Diagnostic Imaging
SGR Fix – Can This Really Be Happening?
The Sustainable Growth Rate mechanism creating a zero-sum game for Medicare Part B reimbursement rates (dropping rates as volume picks up) has long been unsustainable, and so Congress has been messing around with short-term SGR fix legislation for years now. Every six to twelve months we've been hearing about the impending 20% or 30% Medicare […]
OIG: Imaging pre-authorization may be handled by hospital for referring docs and patients
The OIG released an advisory opinion at the end of last month OK'ing a hospital's proposal to provide insurance pre-authorization srevices free of charge to patients and physicians. This is an issue that has long vexed folks in the imaging world. Clearly, this is a free service provided to referral sources (to the extent they […]
Healthymagination VP Mike Barber speaks with David Harlow about GE's investment in health care and health care improvement
What if you could improve health care across the three intransigent parameters of cost, access and quality by 15%? That's the challenge GE has set out for itself in the form of its current five-year Healthymagination campaign, and it's investing $6 billion in the effort. I caught up with GE's VP for Healthymagination, Mike Barber, […]
FDA takes it up a notch: A fresh look at radiation emitting equipment regulation, and what about EHRs?
Earlier this month, the FDA released a letter announcing a new focus on radiation-emitting products. Here's the core of the letter: In order to reduce the number of under-doses, over-doses, and misaligned exposures from therapeutic radiation the FDA is taking several steps to improve the safety and safe use of certain radiation therapy devices. Analyses […]
Diagnostic Radiology Controls: David Harlow Interviews MITA Executive Director Dave Fischer
MITA Executive Director Dave Fischer spoke with HealthBlawg last week about industry efforts to control radiation dose in diagnostic radiology modalities such as CT. A congressional hearing on radiation dose control took place the day after we spoke, and the FDA will be holding a hearing on diagnostic radiology issues in late March. Earlier last […]