Health Imaging & IT - February 2008 - (Page 8)

NEWS UPDATE Government Watch CMS PROPOSES to restrict cardiac CTA reimbursement The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed restrictions for the coverage of cardiac CT angiography (CTA), stating Medicare beneficiaries can only receive reimbursements with two cliniindications of coronary artery disease (CAD) under the coverage cal evidence development process. with The agency said its proposed National Coverage Determination defines the questions that studies must address and the standards studies must meet as a condition of coverage. CMS believes that the proposal could be enacted as early as March 13. Many associations have launched campaigns to fight these cuts. For updates, visit HealthImaging.com. FDA ADVISORIES FDA warns GE about defective x-ray equipment The FDA has issued a warning to GE Healthcare about defective x-ray equipment. The devices come from GE’s radiography & fluoroscopy product line, with the serial model numbers: 5173644-2/1012306WK5 and 51736442/1012319WK8. FDA field tests discovered two defective devices used in a hospital near New Orleans. the HHS chief pushes Congress to health IT & EHR adoption The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) Secretary Mike Leavitt has released a statement regarding the benefits of adopting nationwide health IT policies: “The benefits of utilizing health IT for keeping EHRs and other purposes are clear. This technology will produce a higher quality of care, while reducing medical costs and errors.” Leavitt also addressed the current congressional actions that have the potential to rectify the current faults with Medicare. “Any new bill should require physicians to implement health IT that meets department standards in order to be eligible for higher payments from Medicare,” Leavitt added. Siemens gets FDA warning letter over ultrasound assessment tool The FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health sent a warning letter to Siemens Medical Solutions Ultrasound Division concerning its syngo Arterial Health Package (AHP) assessment tool the company sells with some ultrasound systems that needs to have separate regulatory approval. The agency said Siemens is promoting AHP for use with several of Siemens ultrasound systems, including the Acuson Sequoia C512, X500, X300 and CV 70, and its syngo US Workplace. The agency questioned the manner AHP is advertised, stating that the promotional language does not coincide with its current regulatory indications. ONCHIT 2008 ﬁscal budget stays ﬂat In late December 2007, President George W. Bush signed a new spending bill that leaves the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONCHIT) with the same budget for the current fiscal year as 2007—a total of $61.3 million. Robert Kolodner, MD, national coordinator for health IT, when asked about the ramifications of working with a flat budget rather than the much larger one the administration had requested, said efforts to develop a Nationwide Health Information Network (NHIN) will take the biggest hit. The office will no longer be able to award new NHIN trial implementation contracts, in addition to the nine contracts already issued. 8 Health Imaging & IT | February 2008 Canada’s recent isotope crisis has U.S. exploring alternatives The U.S. Congress is looking into the security of its supply of medical isotopes, prompted by the recent Chalk River, Ontario, nuclear reactor shutdown. The facility was shut down Nov. 18 for safety concerns, and reopened Dec. 16 by Canadian legislation. The U.S. does not make any of its own isotopes—importing them from Canada, South Africa and Belgium. The National Academy of Science, a group of scientists based in Washington, D.C., that advises Congress on a number of issues, has been asked to consider questions relating to the supply of medical isotopes, and whether the U.S. should consider producing its own. FDA warns physicians of RF device-related deaths The FDA has issued a notice informing physicians of deaths associated with the use of radio-frequency (RF) devices during lung tumor ablation, which generate extreme heat to destroy diseased or damaged tissue. The warning follows notifications the agency has received reports of deaths related to the use of the devices. STAY CONNECTED: For daily news, log onto HealthImaging.com HealthImaging.com http://HealthImaging.com http://HealthImaging.com http://HealthImaging.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Health Imaging & IT - February 2008

Health Imaging & IT - February 2008 Contents On the Web The Enterprise News Update Cover Story: Enterprise Image Management Makes the Grade Modality Update Special Section: Health IT: Image Management Special Section: Health IT: PCs on the Move Convention Spotlight Technology Outlook Technology Update Reader's Resource Stat Sheet

Health Imaging & IT - February 2008

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