HCPro.com: Imaging Weekly

Imaging Weekly covers news and practical how-to advice on government and state regulations, Medicare updates, malpractice, mammography, billing & coding, safety, technology, and much more.

May 20, 2008 (Volume 7, Issue 20)

Excessive compensation costs Baptist Health $7.77M
Excessive compensation costs Baptist Health $7.77M Baptist Health South Florida will pay $7.77 million to settle charges it paid an oncology group too much money to refer patients, according to a Miami Herald article. Oncology Hematology Group of South Florida provided radiology services under contract to Baptist Hospital of Miami and South Miami Hospital between 2003 and 2005, according to the article. The group also referred patients to the two hospitals. Medicare providers are generally not allowed to bill Medicare for referrals from doctors with whom they have a financial relationship. Baptist Health discovered the problem and reported it to the government.

Ultrasound mammography: More positive, negative findings
Radiologists deciding on adding ultrasound screening to a mammography learned some good news in a study by the American College of Radiology Imaging Network’s biostatistics center at Brown University: it may produce more breast cancer findings. At the same time, however, it may also lead to more false positive findings, according to an article by the United Press International. The Journal of the American Medical Association reported all the findings.

More patients choosing mastectomies
More breast cancer patients are requesting complete removal of breasts as a result of MRI tests, U.S. researchers reported in Reuters. MRIs are reported to be more sensitive than mammograms, Reuters reports. Doctors are discovering test results they do not like, and patients are choosing the full removal rather than lumpectomies, or partial removal of the breast where the tumor lives.

Other recently-published articles from Imaging Weekly:

Alleged false claims cost Hartford Hospital $800,000

Final issue of Imaging Weekly

CMS begins IDTF chapter

House resolution supports ’Image Gently’ campaign

Medicare seeks analysis for CT colonography

Hospital, radiology dept. blamed for wrong patient surgery

More patients choosing mastectomies

Ultrasound mammography: More positive, negative findings

Excessive compensation costs Baptist Health $7.77M

Dose reduction for Neuroradiology CT exams successful

Report: Incidental findings on cardiac multidetector row CT common for adults

Restrictions on malpractice suits lower premiums

Self-reporting compliance violations could eliminate CIA

Ultrasound helps detect chest wall invasion by lung tumor

Some Michigan mammogram centers fail compliance tests

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