Your 2007 nuclear landscape: pay cuts and compliance ahead

Why This Topic Matters

Practices that bill cardiology imaging to Medicare need to track payment changes and self-referral compliance requirements as they can affect reimbursement, service planning, and office-based operations. The article helps readers identify which categories of imaging services are being discussed and why the 2007 policy environment is important for cardiology billing and compliance review.

Article Sections

1. Overview of 2007 Medicare imaging changes

   Introduces the Medicare payment and compliance issues affecting office-based cardiac imaging services in the coming year. Summarizes the types of policy changes discussed in the article.

2. Multiple imaging reduction

   Describes a Medicare reduction affecting technical payment for multiple imaging services in contiguous body areas. Notes the policy source and timing described in the article.

3. Stark self-referral rule

   Explains the expansion of designated health services and the resulting compliance focus for certain imaging procedures. References the rule change and the office-based compliance context.

4. APC-matching cuts

   Discusses a proposed payment change tying office-based technical payment to hospital outpatient payment comparisons. Identifies the broader Medicare payment context described in the article.

5. Practice expense methodology update

   Reviews a separate Medicare practice expense calculation issue affecting higher-volume nuclear services. Notes that the article discusses a proposed change and its status in the fee schedule process.

6. Estimated impact table of cardiology in-office imaging

   Presents the utilization-based table summarizing common cardiology imaging services and their projected reimbursement impact. The discussion compares broad categories of services affected by the policy changes.