The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule on July 6 updating payment policies and rates under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) for 2013. CMS projected significant reductions in MPFS payment rates under the sustainable growth rate methodology, and medical imaging faces severe cuts, particularly due to an expansion of the multiple procedure payment reduction (MPPR) policy.

In 2008, the state of Massachusetts passed a controversial bill requiring payments of more than $50 to physicians from industry to be reported. But on July 3, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick repealed part of the Massachusetts Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Gift Ban and Disclosure Law, which will now allow pharmaceutical or device companies to pay for modest meals and refreshments.

More than 60 percent of providers responding to an American College of Physician Executives survey indicated support for the recent Supreme Court ruling to uphold the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) recommended in its May 23 report, among other actions, that Department of Energys (DOE) Isotope Program define what factors it considers when setting isotope prices, create clear objectives as a basis for risk assessment and consolidate the lists of high-priority isotopes.

Information from PET/CT has a significant effect on the management of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), as more than 40 percent had their treatment modality or curative intent changed when physicians had PET/CT data as opposed to only conventional imaging, according to a study published in the July issue of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

Using an EMR to review portal images during daily radiation treatments dramatically improves compliance with timeliness and record keeping, which, in turn, improves patient care and safety, according to a study in the July issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology.

Abnormal development of white matter pathways in the first six months to one year of life could precede the manifestation of autistic symptoms in high-risk infants, according to research published in the June issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry.

Accelerated breast radiotherapy may provide a viable treatment option for women diagnosed with DCIS, according to a study published in the July issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology. Although the strategy has proven effective among women with invasive breast cancer, the approach had not been verified among women with DCIS.