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Mammography Regulation and Reimbursement Report

Issue 12, December 1, 2006 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• One-stop shopping for cancer patients

  Healthcare providers often overlook the social stigma associated with a breast cancer patient's...

• How to properly code breast biopsies

  In general, coding for breast biopsies includes an imaging code (based on the modality) and a...

• 'Sophie' offers innovative screening on the move

  She's 3-feet wide and 4-feet tall. She needs a hydraulic lift to get into a vehicle. But she...

• Proper technique important for implant scanning

  Breast implants-depending on the person-represent either the perfect dream or a potential...

Issue 11, November 1, 2006 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Audit to ensure accurate billing

  It's healthcare business 101: Prompt, proper completion of coding and billing paperwork equals...

• Center offers breast imaging innovation

  In the eyes of Ruth Melvin, Columbia Regional Breast Center in Longview, WA, is a prime candidate...

• Use or overuse? The reality behind payer regulations

  At the heart of every myth lies the essence of truth. The exponential growth of imaging and its...

Issue 10, October 1, 2006 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• CMS looks to cut CAD reimbursement

  The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has proposed a significant reduction to...

• Prepare your facility for a disaster with these simple steps

  Last year, numerous mammography facilities had to temporarily relocate, rearrange, or rebuild in...

• Avoid legal marketing traps by monitoring efforts

  Marketing to your referring physicians is a critical part of developing a successful business...

• Tips for conducting digital mammography site visits

  Once your organization has decided to make the leap to digital mammography, it's time to begin...

• Study: PET may eliminate need for biopsy in some cases

  Surgeons should consider breast positron emission tomography (PET) studies to determine whether...

Issue 9, September 1, 2006 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Teleradiology a new solution for digital mammography

  Alan Melton, MD, no longer has to make the 110-mile commute from his home in West Hartford, CT, to...

• Don't settle for the minimum when it comes to the medical audit

  Editor's note: Oakey is the mammography coordinator for the state of Florida and a certified MQSA...

• Protect your organization when donating services

  From time to time, radiologists are asked to donate their medical services. Perhaps they may be...

• PACS administration: Keep your project moving forward

  When it's time to make the conversion to digital mammography, you'll likely look at implementing a...

Issue 8, August 1, 2006 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Fuji's CR digital mammography system gains FDA approval

  Could prove to be cheaper alternative for facilities Mammography facilities looking to convert...

• CR mammography may provide a significant boost to digital adoption

  Editor's note: Oakey is the mammography coordinator for the state of Florida and a certified MQSA...

• How old is too old for a mammogram?

  Is an 80-year-old woman in good health a good candidate for a screening mammogram? A recent Dutch...

• SIIM to offer PACS administrator certification program

  As facilities begin to convert from film to digital mammography equipment, they will need to use a...

Issue 7, July 1, 2006 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• FDA annual report: Radiology techsfalsified phantom image records

  On June 1, the FDA released its 2005 Facility Adverse Event and Action Report, which is a...

• Establishing a new workflow when making the digital transition

  Editor's note: This story is an excerpt from HCPro's new book Digital Mammography: A How-To Manual...

• Five steps to effectively pilot your business plan

  Secluded in your office at 8 a.m., you stare at the screen, facing down 100 e-mails while your...

Issue 6, June 1, 2006 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Study: Breast cancer survivors not receiving needed mammograms

  Breast cancer survivors seem as if they would be likely to understand the value of early cancer...

• MQSA inspectors: What are their qualifications to review your facility?

  Editor's note: Oakey is the mammography coordinator for the state of Florida and a certified MQSA...

• Take care when coding for digital mammography and CAD

  As the mammography world evolves to embrace new technology, your coders will need to grow with...

• Take control: Reining in disruptive physician behavior

  Every hospital in America has at least one-a physician who stands out for his or her unprofessional...

Issue 5, May 1, 2006 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• MRRR chooses the Breast Imaging Innovation Award's first runner-up

  A single, working mother in her 30s goes in for her annual screening mammogram at a local clinic...

• Avoid MQSA inspection violations by focusing on continuing experience

  Editor's note: Oakey is the mammography coordinator for the state of Florida and a certified MQSA...

• Improve your practice by developing a new strategy

  All patients within a 10-mile radius of your facility come to you without question for their...

• Lesion characteristics affect US interpretation

  Even the most experienced breast imagers have a tough time picking out smaller lesions on...

• Easing the pressure of compression for your patients

  Compression during a mammography examination is perceived differently by different women. Some...

Issue 4, April 1, 2006 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Digital mammography: Can your facility afford to make the leap?

  The release of the Digital Mammographic Imaging Screening Trial (DMIST) showed that digital...

• Avoid a common violation by properly tracking continuing education credits

  Editor's note: Dan Oakey is the mammography coordinator for the state of Florida and a certified...

• Stephens Memorial Hospital wins the first MRRR Breast Imaging Innovation Award

  Stephens Memorial Hospital in Norway, Maine, serves a number of small rural towns in the western...

• Financial effect of the 2005 Deficit Reduction Act to be felt in mammography

  Imagine an $11 billion savings in federal healthcare costs. Congress hopes to save just that with...

• CAD finds breast cancers that radiologists had missed

  When breast CAD software took a second look at mammograms containing malignancies, it found most of...

Issue 3, March 1, 2006 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• MRI, ultrasound, scintimammography, and PET no substitute for biopsy

  The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) released a report in February concluding that...

• CAD used as evidence in mammography trial may open door to future rulings

  A recent Ohio Court of Appeals decision to affirm a trial court's admission of computer-aided...

• Buying preowned equipment can save money, but research options carefully

  In the past, most mammography facilities didn’t look to purchase used equipment. "More...

• MQSA reauthorization: What to expect, how to prepare

  Editor’s note: Oakey is the mammography coordinator for the state of Florida and a certified...

Issue 2, February 1, 2006 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Increasing patient satisfaction scores by reducing long wait times

  Five years ago, Denise Bacon had just started her new job at the Breast Diagnostic Center at Clear...

• HIPAA: Avoid incidental disclosures

  HIPAA does not require organizations to track incidental disclosures and include them in...

• What to expect after the inspector finishes review

  Editor’s note: Oakey is the mammography coordinator for the state of Florida and a certified...

• Determining positive predictive value in mammography

  Positive predictive value (PPV) is a measure of accuracy for a screening or diagnostic test. It...

• Writing letters to patients: Avoiding common pitfalls

  Sending the appropriate letter to every patient can be challenging. For this reason, it’s...

Issue 1, January 1, 2006 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Reducing your risk: Tips to prevent breast cancer malpractice lawsuits

  There are several common denominators when patients or their families file breast cancer...

• Preparing for a MQSA inspection: Steps for a successful visit

  Editor’s note: Oakey is the mammography coordinator for the state of Florida and a certified...