Archive for December 2021
Congress Rescinds 10% Medicare Cuts for 2022
2022 Medicare physician billing rates are now finalized after Congress disallowed most of the proposed 9.75% CMS cuts. The “Protecting Medicare and American Farmers from Sequester Cuts Act” passed both Houses last week and was signed by President Biden. This act provides the following relief. Delays the 4% cut for the PAYGO (pay-as-you-go) provision until…
Read MoreMedicare Beneficiaries Growth Outpaces Growth in Radiologists
Research presented at the recent Radiological Society of North America meeting shows that the number of Medicare beneficiaries is overtaking the number of existing radiologists in some geographical regions of the U.S. There is a gap in several areas where the growth rate of Medicare beneficiaries exceeds the growth rate of radiologists in their region.…
Read MoreMedicare Spending For Diagnostic Radiology $890 Million Below Expected Levels for 2020
Data released by the American Medical Association on December 2, 2021, revealed that Medicare disbursements for diagnostic radiology services fell by $890 million (roughly 16%) below the projected levels in 2020. Not only did diagnostic radiology services reimbursed by Medicare fall — revenue for all physician services in the Medicare system fell significantly — $13.9…
Read MoreWomen Benefit When They Schedule Their Mammogram around their COVID Vaccine or Booster
Recent research, published on November 17 in Academic Radiology, suggests that women will benefit by scheduling their mammogram around their COVID-19 vaccination or booster. Soon after COVID-19 vaccinations began in late 2020 and early 2021, radiologists noticed unilateral axillary adenopathy in women who had recently received their COVID-19 vaccine. In those cases, researchers recommended follow-up…
Read MoreAct Now to Help Avert Payment Cuts to Physicians from Medicare
During the largest healthcare crisis in U.S. history, members of Congress continue to negotiate on an end-of-the-year funding bill that does not address the substantial cuts in Medicare reimbursements to all healthcare providers, scheduled to begin on January 1, 2022. Congress must pass the continuing resolution (CR) before the end of 2021 to provide a…
Read More