The Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) has been a lightning rod for discussion since its inclusion in the Affordable Care Act (ACA). But while supporters viewed it as a centerpiece of reform, and detractors called it rationing, IPAB may never get a chance to impact healthcare at all, according to an article published May 29 in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The Medicare Trustees released its annual report May 31 and projected that the Medicare Hospital Insurance Trust fund will remain solvent two years longer than last year’s projection, or until 2026.

Officials in Washington, D.C., appear poised to green-light a pair of proton beam therapy treatment centers at a total cost of $153 million. The centers would join a third, which is in the construction stage, in Baltimore. The story, posted on NPR, details the cost concerns of proton beam therapy. Read more at the link below.

For many patients, healthcare is a family affair. Several of this week’s top stories underscored some familial trials and triumphs. The high cost of family healthcare coverage dominated headlines, while reports of a lifesaving application of 3D printing hinted at the promise of the technology.

Residents and fellows can now apply for one of up to five  scholarships to attend the American College of Radiology (ACR) Radiology Leadership Institute (RLI) Annual Event, July 25–28, 2013, at the Kellogg School of Management on  Northwestern University’s Evanston, IL, campus.

Industry analyst firm NanoMarkets today announced the launch of its newest report of the radiation detection market.  The report titled “Markets for Radiation Detection Equipment” predicts that the radiation detector is projected to grow from $25 billion (USD) in 2013 to $33 billion in 2020.  Despite the gloomy forecasts for the world’s economic engines, most of the markets that employ radiation detection equipment are experiencing and will experience growth above that projected in the macro forecasts.

Carestream Health has dramatically reduced air emissions and energy consumption as part of an ongoing proactive effort to trim its environmental footprint.

Milliman released its 2013 Milliman Medical Index (MMI) and reported healthcare costs for the typical family of four in the U.S. reached $22,030, a 6.3 increase over 2012. To put the costs in perspective, Milliman noted total healthcare costs are on par with college tuition at an in-state public school.