Revenue & Reimbursement

Healthcare reimbursement is payment that a hospital, diagnostic imaging facility, subspecialty department or healthcare providers receive for performing a service. This also includes individual radiologist or cardiologist reimbursement and billing and coding rules for submitting claims.

‘Concerning’ data connect industry payments to cardiologists with medical device use
U.S. physicians often receive payments from medical device manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies. New research in JAMA found a connection between receiving such payments and using specific devices—should the industry be concerned?
Medicare reimbursement down 29% for cardiologists, 58% for heart surgeons
Physician payments are down slightly across the board, but they've fallen significantly for a handful of specialties. Researchers examined the long-term impact this trend could have on patient care.
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.
Cardiologist salary update: Compensation jumps to $525K per year, No. 3 among all specialties
In addition, cardiologists average an additional $75,000 per year in incentive-based bonuses. That number is only higher for two other specialties.
Critics call out ‘woefully inadequate’ CMS proposal for inpatient Medicare payments
CMS has issued its proposed rule for the 2025 Medicare hospital inpatient prospective payment system, suggesting a payment increase of 2.6%. According to the American Hospital Association, this update would not be enough at a time when hospitals are already struggling to stay open.

Kit Crancer RBMA president on Medicare cuts RSNA 2023.

The impact of Medicare payment cuts on radiology and patient care access

RBMA President Kit Crancer said continued cuts will result in Medicare patients losing access to care when health systems and providers determine it is no longer economical.

December 5, 2023

Ken Rosenfield, MD, Mass General Hospital, explains the impact wider CMS reimbursement for carotid artery stenting will have on patient stroke care and interventional cardiology. CAS

Q&A: Ken Rosenfield explains the impact of new reimbursement coverage for carotid stenting

Ken Rosenfield, MD, helped spearhead the recent Medicare policy change that made carotid stenting procedures available to more patients.

October 20, 2023

An interactive diagram for the carotids and arteries of the brain for interventional reporting shown by Fujifilm at HIMSS 2023. Photo by Dave Fornell

CMS changes coverage policy for carotid stenting to make it more widely available

A group of interventional cardiologists, neurologists and vascular surgeons successfully petitioned Medicare to change its coverage determination for carotid stenting procedures.

October 18, 2023

Cardiologists, cardiac surgeons push insurance company to rethink billing policy

The American College of Cardiology, Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions and Society of Thoracic Surgeons raised the issue, which is related to the billing of transcatheter heart procedures such as TAVR.

October 9, 2023

Kumar Aditya, director, information technology, Atlantic Health System, explains how the system automated more than 60% of its radiology prior authorization workflow.

How Atlantic Health automated its radiology prior authorization workflow

Director of IT Kumar Aditya explains how the New Jersey hospital system automated more than 60% of its radiology prior authorization workflow.

October 3, 2023

Video of Denise Garris, ASE regulatory consultant and principal of the Korris Group, explaining how reimbursements from insurance andMedicare work to pay or cardiac ultrasound exams. #ASE #ASE360 #ASE23 #ASE2023 #healthcarereimbursment

Understanding reimbursements and coding for echocardiography

"I think everyone would agree that the current fee-for-service model is not working appropriately and there needs to be a fix," regulatory consultant Denise Garris explained in a new interview.

September 13, 2023

The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI), American College of Cardiology (ACC) and Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) have asked the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to clarify a key detail related to the national coverage determination (NCD) for percutaneous left atrial appendage closure (LAAC).

Interventional cardiologists, electrophysiologists ask CMS to clarify policy after unexpected denials

Three cardiology societies have reached out to CMS with questions about how MACs are interpreting a policy related to shared decision-making.

July 6, 2023

Nearing a ‘breaking point’: Cardiologists support legislation designed to mitigate Medicare cuts to office-based services

These latest cuts could be a "breaking point" for physicians, according to a new letter to lawmakers.

June 2, 2023

Around the web

Cardiovascular Business

FDA announces new recall of delivery catheters after patient’s death

The recall includes specific lots of five different medical devices used to treat stroke and other neurovascular diseases.

Cardiovascular Business

FDA warns against use of troubled heart devices, citing ‘continued concerns’ after multiple recalls

The agency is urging healthcare providers to transition away from these devices and seek out alternatives. It is even working with other manufacturers to try and get similar products on the market as quickly as possible.

Cardiovascular Business

The push for an independent cardiology board continues

Jeffrey Kuvin, MD, one of the leading voices behind efforts to create a new Board of Cardiovascular Medicine, spoke with Cardiovascular Business about where things stand today.

Revenue & Reimbursement

‘Concerning’ data connect industry payments to cardiologists with medical device use

Medicare reimbursement down 29% for cardiologists, 58% for heart surgeons

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

Cardiologist salary update: Compensation jumps to $525K per year, No. 3 among all specialties

Critics call out ‘woefully inadequate’ CMS proposal for inpatient Medicare payments

Around the web