Reimbursement News
Imaging industry seeks more coverage for cancer scans
The medical imaging industry called for the Medicare government health plan to broaden its coverage of PET scans to additional cancer types, asking an advisory panel to recommend wider payments. Medicare is expected to make a draft decision in January and a final ruling in April.
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UnitedHealth pushes imaging accreditation deadline to 2009
http://www.auntminnie.com/index.asp?Sec=sup&Sub=mr...
Insurance giant UnitedHealth Group of Minneapolis has extended its deadline until the fourth quarter of 2009 for freestanding imaging facilities and physician offices to apply for accreditation to receive reimbursement for their services.
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What’s New
MI University
It’s September and that means it’s time to go back to school! Visit our new MI University clinical modules.
- PET•CT in Medical Oncology - Learn how a successful medical oncology practice utilizes PET•CT scans to manage their patients, especially in accurate staging and in monitoring response to treatments.
- PET•CT in Cardiology – Discover a collection of case studies, lectures and protocols illustrating the utilization of PET•CT in the investigation of coronary artery disease.
- Cardiac PET•CT: Navigating the fifth dimension – Enjoy the specialized image displays and analysis techniques in this clinical guide to combined CT coronary angiography and FDG myocardial viability investigation.
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Technology
Video game helps young cancer patients take meds
In a new video game Re-Mission, developed by a California-based nonprofit, players control a tiny robot who moves around in a 3-D environment representing the inside of the body of a young cancer patient.
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Patient Advocacy
Lymphoma Awareness Month in September
The month of September is recognized as National Lymphoma Awareness Month.
Lymphoma is a general term for a group of cancers that originate in the lymphatic system. The lymphomas are divided into two major categories: Hodgkin lymphoma and all other lymphomas, called non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). The prefix "lymph-" indicates their origin in the malignant change of a lymphocyte and the suffix "-oma" is derived from the Greek suffix denoting "tumor." About 53 percent of the blood cancers that occur each year are lymphoma.
Hodgkin lymphoma was named for Thomas Hodgkin, an English physician who described several cases of the disease in 1832. Hodgkin lymphoma will represent about 11.1 percent of all lymphomas diagnosed in 2008.
About 74,340 Americans will be diagnosed with lymphoma in 2008. This figure includes approximately 8,220 new cases of Hodgkin lymphoma (4,400 males and 3,820 females), and 66,120 new cases of NHL (35,450 males and 30,670 females).
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Coming Soon!
Nuclear Medicine Week in October
Sunday 10/5 to Saturday 10/11
Each year, the SNM and SNMTS join forces with the nuclear medicine and molecular imaging community to gain recognition and support for the field. Celebrated during the first full week of October, Nuclear Medicine Week encourages community members to take pride in their profession – recognizing their colleagues for their hard work and promoting nuclear medicine to the entire medical community as well as to the public.
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Coming Soon!
Prepare Now for Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Breast Cancer Awareness Month is coming soon! Get ready now to promote public awareness of breast cancer as part of this national campaign. Make sure your imaging center is ready to take part in the Breast Cancer Awareness event:
· Order any promotional materials your center has selected to distribute to the public for educational purposes
· Expect increased demand in October
· Be prepared by providing ample staffing for the month
· Send a notice to primary care physicians' offices in your area to let them know if you are providing extended hours in October
There are many things your imaging center can do to promote Breast Cancer Awareness. Get ready now!
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