Economics

This channel highlights factors that impact hospital and healthcare economics and revenue. This includes news on healthcare policies, reimbursement, marketing, business plans, mergers and acquisitions, supply chain, salaries, staffing, and the implementation of a cost-effective environment for patients and providers.

Cardiologists, thoracic surgeons applaud FTC’s ban of most noncompete clauses
The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions and Society of Thoracic Surgeons have both shared statements in support of the ban, which is already being challenged in court. The American Hospital Association, meanwhile, opposes the policy shift, saying it “errs by seeking to create a one-size-fits-all rule”
Why the business side of cardiology was a key focus at ACC.24
Alison Bailey, MD, co-chair of the business of cardiology sessions at ACC.24, emphasized that reimbursement cuts can have a long-term negative impact on patient.
Motivation helps heart patients stay active
Alexander Fanaroff, MD, said the late-breaking BE ACTIVE clinical trial presented at ACC.24 offers a blueprint for how to get patients to be more physically active.
New ACC President Cathie Biga wants to improve quality reporting in cardiology
Biga, who originally trained as a nurse, specializes in the business side of cardiology. She also emphasized the increasing importance of AI and other new technologies.
New Jersey cardiologist faces up to 10 years in prison for $1.9M fraud scheme
The doctor, 76, admitted to billing multiple insurance providers for office visits that never happened at all.

AI specialists raise $80M to ramp up commercialization of imaging analysis software

The big funding round continues a busy year for Elucid as the company works to get its AI software in the hands of more physicians.

November 9, 2023

Ultromics EchoGo AI platform. When the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized the 2024 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System final rule, it included an updated reimbursement for the EchoGo Heart Failure platform from Ultromics. EchoGo Heart Failure is now associated with an ambulatory payment classification (APC) code of APC 5743 and a payment rate of $284.88.

CMS increases reimbursement for AI-powered heart failure platform

Ultromics thinks the significant payment increase will help ramp up utilization among U.S. healthcare providers.

November 8, 2023

private equity corporatization business consolidation

Private equity-backed pharmaceutical company acquires stroke drug from Bayer

The drug, nimodipine, is a second-generation calcium channel blocker designed to prevent and treat cerebral vasospasm following an aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.

November 6, 2023

Barostim Neo 2 CVRx heart failure nerve stimulator on display at HRS 2023. Photo by Dave Fornell

CMS increases reimbursement for CVRx’s implantable Barostim device for heart failure

Implanting the Barostim device is now associated with an average payment amount of $45,000, up significantly from the previous average of $29,000.

November 3, 2023

Medicare money payment reimbursement dollar decline. More than 100 U.S. medical societies are throwing their support behind a new proposal that could reform out-of-date Medicare policies and help limit future payment cuts.

Cardiologists, heart surgeons and imaging experts push for changes that could prevent ‘permanent and unjustifiable Medicare cuts’

More than 100 U.S. medical societies are throwing their support behind a new proposal that could reform out-of-date Medicare policies and help limit future payment cuts.

November 3, 2023

Intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) therapy to break up calcified coronary lesions will now be reimbursed at a higher rate under new in-hospital codes the went into effect Oct. 1. Illustration of the Shockwave lithoplasty procedure using sonic waves to bust calcium without trauma.

IVL gains higher level of reimbursement with one of biggest coding updates for PCI in decades

Intravascular lithotripsy therapy to break up calcified coronary lesions will now be reimbursed at a higher rate under new in-hospital codes the went into effect Oct. 1.

November 1, 2023

Patients receive unnecessary coronary stents during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedures at an alarming rate, according to a new report from the Lown Institute. The analysis included approximately 1 million stent procedures performed at more than 1,700 U.S. hospitals and outpatient facilities from 2019 to 2021.

‘More dangerous than useful’: 1 in 5 coronary stents implanted by cardiologists are unnecessary, wasting $800M per year

A cardiologist-led think tank tracked data from more than 1 million procedures, exploring the clinical and economic impacts of implanting low-value coronary stents.

October 31, 2023

money business cash flow dollar. Kingsway Financial Services, a Chicago-based holding company with subsidiaries in several industries, has acquired New Jersey-based Digital Diagnostics Imaging (DDI) for $11 million. The transaction was funded with $5.4 million in cash and $5.6 million in debt financing.

Holding company acquires heart monitoring specialists Digital Diagnostics Imaging for $11M

DDI currently has contracts with nursing homes and hospitals in 42 states.

October 30, 2023

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Health Imaging

New imaging protocols proposed to curb rise of cardiovascular infections

Eleven medical societies have signed on to a consensus statement aimed at standardizing imaging for suspected cardiovascular infections.

Radiology Business

What does radiology have to do with climate change?

Kate Hanneman, MD, explains why many vendors and hospitals want to lower radiology's impact on the environment. "Taking steps to reduce the carbon footprint in healthcare isn’t just an opportunity," she said. "It’s also a responsibility."

Economics

Cardiologists, thoracic surgeons applaud FTC’s ban of most noncompete clauses

Why the business side of cardiology was a key focus at ACC.24

Motivation helps heart patients stay active

New ACC President Cathie Biga wants to improve quality reporting in cardiology

New Jersey cardiologist faces up to 10 years in prison for $1.9M fraud scheme

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