CMS reduces radiology cuts in 2012 pay schedule

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has decided to trim proposed cuts to advanced imaging services, but radiologists warn the cuts will still hurt a profession already reeling from years of pay reductions.

An earlier proposed rule suggested slashing the professional component to doctors by 50 percent for subsequent scans when they perform multiple MRI, CT or nuclear medicine procedures on the same patient during the same visit, as CMS argues there are efficiencies that justify the reduced reimbursement. Currently, CMS cuts the technical component in such circumstances by 50 percent.

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