The narrative on imaging utilization has typically been described as a meteoric rise in the middle of the last decade, but then a plateau and even a small drop in utilization in recent years. This may not be the whole story, however, as a study of imaging for commercially insured patients has found that a brief downturn in 2010 was followed by another increase in 2011.

A substantial proportion of Medicare beneficiaries, between 25 and 42 percent, are affected by the utilization of low-value services, including low-value imaging and cancer screening, according to a study published online May 12 in JAMA Internal Medicine.

Earlier this month, the release of massive amounts of Medicare payment information jolted healthcare and spurred countless articles analyzing the payments being made to physicians.

There is an overall scarcity of access to imaging services at critical access hospitals (CAH) throughout the U.S., according to a study published online April 26 by the Journal of the American College of Radiology.

Following up on the effects of the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (MIPPA), a report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) stated that a decline in advanced imaging services in recent years was likely driven by factors other than accreditation requirements.

According to long-awaited data on Medicare payments, 2 percent of physicians received about $15 billion from Medicare in 2012, which equals roughly one quarter of total payments that year. 

It seemed like there was a lot of optimism in the air this time regarding finding a permanent fix to the flawed sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula. After passing another temporary patch to avoid a payment cliff late last year, Congressional leaders seemed motivated to push for a long-term solution, and it felt like it might actually happen early in 2014.

Despite hopes that early 2014 would finally see permanent repeal and replacement of the current flawed sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula, a looming deadline appears to have forced another temporary patch, as a 12-month SGR fix will go to a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives today.