Saving Radiology

Prices in medical procedures often vary from region to region. A lot of companies have launched programs that limit procedure numbers in an attempt to get various hospitals and diagnostic imaging services providers to have some uniformity in how they sell their procedures. A big problem that faces radiology is the whole reimbursement situation; some services get paid either late or not at all. The whole reimbursement issue has forced hands and aided in sending prices out of control.

In order to bee able to run profitable but still ethical operations, there are new measures being proposed in so far as diagnostic imaging is concerned. The measure is re-working the business model of the current healthcare system as it pertains to imaging procedures. While this idea is something of a theory that may work well once it’s put in practice, there are a lot of hurdles. The idea was proposed by Dr. Michael Brandt- Zawadski. The model proposed is referred to as population health and Dr. Brandt- Zawadski explains it as such: “Population health is similar to the capitation model of the ’90s, but it differs in that it’s not aimed at rationing health care. Instead, it’s organized around patient satisfaction and patient experience, as well as budget. Let’s say that $10 billion was set aside for a particular hospital system. The system then creates incentives for providers and patients that will support efficiency and coordination in healthcare. If a portion of this $10 billion is left over, everyone is rewarded — providers earn more and payors spend less. That’s the essential concept of population health. It changes the system from an episode- and provider-centered one to one that benefits payors, providers, and patients.”

Essentially it’s taking what was good about early 90’s reform and tailoring it to the patient while still employing the use of a solid budget. This is something that will not only aid radiologists but it will also aid the technologies industry. Part of planning a successful site includes making sure that the budgetary concerns are met. When speaking of a budget several factors have to be considered such as

• Expense in electricity
• Cost of equipment
• Cost of additional staff
• Cost of services and guarantees
• Cost of any necessary expansions