Reps offerthen withdrawself referral amendment

Last week, House Energy and Commerce Committee’s markup of HR 3200—American’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009—Reps. Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y. and Bruce Braley, D-Iowa, offered, and then withdrew, an amendment to close the in-office ancillary services exception for advanced medical imaging under the Stark law.

In offering the amendment, both Weiner and Braley spoke about the problems of conflict of interest, and safety and health concerns associated with physicians’ ownership of imaging equipment.

Before withdrawing the amendment, they received a commitment from House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman, D-Calif., to further examine the issue during the ongoing debate on healthcare reform. Also, Weiner added that he would like for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to examine the issue of physician self-referral and determine any possible regulatory solutions.

Michael Bassett,

Contributor

Around the web

Compensation for heart specialists continues to climb. What does this say about cardiology as a whole? Could private equity's rising influence bring about change? We spoke to MedAxiom CEO Jerry Blackwell, MD, MBA, a veteran cardiologist himself, to learn more.

The American College of Cardiology has shared its perspective on new CMS payment policies, highlighting revenue concerns while providing key details for cardiologists and other cardiology professionals. 

As debate simmers over how best to regulate AI, experts continue to offer guidance on where to start, how to proceed and what to emphasize. A new resource models its recommendations on what its authors call the “SETO Loop.”