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

news update Government Watch HHS to adopt ICD-10 codes, update HIPAA The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has released two proposed rules to adopt updated standards for HIPAA transaction sets and to replace the ICD-9 codes for diagnoses and procedures by October 2011. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is accepting public comments on the regulations through Oct. 21. In one rule, HHS has proposed to adopt the ICD-10 code set to replace the ICD-9 code sets in HIPAA transactions. ICD-10 has space for more than 155,000 codes, which allows for more specificity and detail. The current ICD-9 code set is limited to 17,000 codes and by next year, it will be difficult to find slots for new diseases and procedures.  Business BuZZ Dutch reactor shuttered; radioisotope shortage likely Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group, which operates the shuttered nuclear reactor in Petten, Netherlands, announced it would not restart the reactor until November. “The consequences of this further delay will have an impact on the medical isotope market,” the company said.  Philips expands cardiovascular x-ray reach with new acquisition Royal Philips Electronics has reached an agreement to acquire Alpha X-Ray Technologies, a manufacturer of cardiovascular x-ray systems in Panvel, India. Medicaid to spend $380B for health IT With contracts expiring for as many as 21 state Medicaid Management Information Systems (MMIS) over the next five years, state programs are expected to disburse $380 billion in the coming year for health IT enhancements, according to a new report from market research firm Input. Nearly 22 percent of all state spending will be on MMIS. Input previously projected that state and local governments investments in MMIS and health IT improvements will reach $10.8 billion by 2012.  UnitedHealthcare extends imaging accreditation deadline UnitedHealthcare will now require all outpatient medical imaging providers to apply for accreditation from the American College of Radiology (ACR) or another accrediting body, by the fourth quarter of 2009 to receive reimbursement for CT, MRI, PET, nuclear medicine, nuclear cardiology and echocardiography services. GE receives FDA warning letter for PACS software facility The FDA has sent GE Healthcare’s Integrated IT unit a warning letter about improper quality control standards, after a regulatory inspection of a GE facility that manufactures and distributes the software for its Centricity PACS. The letter said that the Barrington, Ill., facility was in violation of 12 of the agency’s current good manufacturing practice requirements during an FDA inspection.  Sonora issues warning over corrupted ultrasound software Sonora Medical Systems issued a warning to hospitals and healthcare facilities that at least one thirdparty ultrasound service company has illegally modified its FirstCall probe testing software. CMS to eliminate some x-ray reimbursements The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is attempting to eliminate reimbursements to patients for x-rays taken by an MD or doctor of osteopathic medicine (DO), and used by a chiropractor to determine a subluxation. The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) said it is prepared to fight the change. The ACA said that by limiting chiropractors from referring an x-ray study, the costs for patient care will increase. 8 Health Imaging & IT | october 2008 CMS issues Medicare payment guide Medicare beneficiaries and healthcare providers now have a guide to Medicare coverage, coding and payment for new technologies under the Medicare fee-forservice program. Issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the Innovator’s Guide to Navigating CMS provides a roadmap for technology developers to make their products available to Medicare beneficiaries. This is the first time it has been presented in a single resource document.  Unclean MRIs could carry MRSA A radiologist has suggested that MRIs are often not being properly cleaned, and that methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is being spread during scans. MRSA and other pathogens can live on and in common MRI table pads and positioners for several months. STAY CONNECTED: for daily news, log onto Healthimaging.com—and sign up for Health imaging news. Healthimaging.com http://www.Healthimaging.com http://www.Healthimaging.com

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Health Imaging & IT - October 2008 Contents The Enterprise News Update Top Trends in Health Imaging & IT - Topping the Competition Advances in Cardiac CT & MRI CVIS Spurs Innovation Technology Outlook People & Technology In Practice Reader's Resource

Health Imaging & IT - October 2008

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