New Year, New Obstacles

Does this also refer to a diagnostic CXR or hip films? Our patients that are seniors or challenged have a hard enough time getting to the doctor. To make them return another day would encourage non compliance.  I thought the new health plan was to make it easier to see a physician and stay healthy.

Thank you for your feedback Ernesto.

Jenn, your comment is greatly appreciated. Thank you so much for sharing your perspective.

If given a choice, do you think doctors will elect to receive a reduced reimbursement, or choose to have the full payment possible from medicare? Yes, medicare will still pay for same day testing, but the reduced coverage is meant to sway doctors to have their patients tests scheduled on different days. Therefore, it really doesn't matter if medicare will reimburse for same day testing, simply because the cuts to reimbursement that have taken place prior to this new policy make it nearly impossible for doctors to approve such a policy.

You are correct in that the new policy will surely strain the patient /doctor relationship. Unfortunately, the down economy has put a strain on multiple relationships that many physicians have including but not limited to their staff, perhaps moving to a smaller office, reduced supplies and equipment, along with placing more responsibilities on existing staff due to staff reduction.

Many practices are feeling the economic strain of keeping their doors open. This new medicare policy will only increase that burden. Therefore, this reduction in reimbursement coverage is practically the same as no reimbursement at all for same day testing. Given the hardships that most practices are experiencing, it is very doubtful that physicians will continue to have same day testing performed on their patients.

The article represents what is occuring in outpatient clinics and cardiology groups. It doesn't represent what may be presently happening in a hosptital environment with a fully functioning radiology department complete with all imaging modalities.

For example, does the medicare policy affect hospital inpatients who have multiple imaging exams ordered by physicians? Will those patients have to have their testing done on different days while they remain in the hospital, or does the policy allow for multiple imaging exams performed on the same day?

The article pertains to outpatient clinics and practices.

The article made sense to me.

It seems there is conflicting information here.  In one line you state that "your medical imaging tests will no longer be covered if they are performed on the same day..."  Yet, later you state that, "Medicare will still cover exams performed ont he same day, but will reduce the monetary amount..."

I think what has happened is that Medicare is now bundling some imaging when it is performed on the same day, resulting in smaller reimbursements to the physicians performing the testing.  To avoid reduced reimbursements, a patient can have imaging performed on seperate days.  

I believe that patients are not billable for charges beyond what Medicare reimburses, so physicians cannot charge patients for any remiander balance.  So it is in the best interest of the physician office to have a patient come on multiple days for imaging.  For the convenience of the patient, having imaging performed on the same day would likely be most convenient.

So, it seems that Medicare might be creating difficulty for the patient/physician relationships, and causing difficulty for physicians in that reimbursments are being reduced, which is very unfortunate for all involved.  But your article doesn't seem to accurately portray the issue.