In Search of Shangri-La: Alternative Models of Imaging-service Delivery

For decades, the radiology practice partnership model has been the dominant form of imaging delivery. Change, however, is afoot. Health-care reform and other factors are driving the development of new imaging-delivery models that merit a close look, if imaging providers are to weather the storm of change that is remaking the health-care landscape.

Radiologist Lisa Bielamowicz, MD, is managing director and national imaging practice leader for the Health Care Advisory Board and Technology Insights programs of The Advisory Board Company (Washington, DC), a global research, technology, and consulting company. She says that savvy health-care providers must recognize... Click here for more

The 75 Largest Private Radiology Practices

Introduction During the break of a radiology-group retreat, a young radiologist was congratulating a radiologist 30 years his senior on his upcoming retirement. The young radiologist commented on how lucky the retiring radiologist was to have lived through the glory years of radiology. The senior radiologist replied he would trade places with him in second for the opportunity to be in his 30s again. The outlook might seem tough for radiology, but it is all a... Click here for more

Radiology and Meaningful Use: Questions Loom As Attestation Begins

It was the radiology community’s version of the shot heard ‘round the world: in April 2010, the Continuing Extension Act of 2010 revised the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act’s definition of a hospital-based eligible professional to include hospital-based physicians practicing in outpatient settings, thereby rendering more than 90% of radiologists eligible for the meaningful-use program. Previously, imaging providers had believed that they would be exempted from the maze of attestation, incentives, and penalties prescribed by the HITECH Act, but suddenly, they (and their information systems) were in the loop.

Radiologists have always been... Click here for more

Subspecialization and Teleradiology: An Uneasy Alliance

Why would orthopedic surgeons bypass a nearby hospital or imaging center when referring patients? If they happened to be in the Midwest, they might prefer the subspecialized interpretations offered by Linda L. Dew, MD, FRCPC. After more than two decades as a practicing radiologist, Dew has developed expertise in imaging of the feet, ankles, hands, and wrists.

Choosy surgeons have come to rely on her, and they have no qualms about asking patients to go slightly out of their way for an interpretation that they can trust. Dew, who works for a teleradiology company (headquartered in Southern... Click here for more

Revenue-cycle Management: Minimizing Denials and Maximizing Collections

The best way to minimize denials is to prevent them in the first place, by making sure that medical claims meet the requirements for clean claims. A clean claim is defined as a claim that meets the standards required by insurance carriers for payment on first submission.

The components of a clean claim include (but are not limited to) conducting accurate demographic and insurance registration of patients, meeting timely filing deadlines, performing insurance verification, complying with utilization-management requirements (such as preauthorization of advanced imaging), and reconciliation of incompatible diagnosis and procedure codes.

Accurate Registration