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  • 1.  $3.1M FCA Settlement Agreement Reminds That Final Radiology Reports Should Be Real

    Posted 03-29-2024 15:17
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    The United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York has announced this week a $3.1 Million False Claims Act settlement with a teleradiology group and its CEO arising from allegations that radiologists failed to perform legitimate interpretation services and instead relied on reads by radiologists outside of the United States.

    Ensuring that final radiology interpretations following preliminary reads that are billed to Medicare are real and not just a "rubber stamp" is crucial.
    https://viewpoints.reedsmith.com/post/102j46p/3-1m-fca-settlement-underscores-why-official-final-radiology-interpretation-repo
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    Thomas W Greeson
    Reed Smith LLP
    (703) 517-0495
    tgreeson@reedsmith.com
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  • 2.  RE: $3.1M FCA Settlement Agreement Reminds That Final Radiology Reports Should Be Real

    Posted 04-01-2024 07:32
    Tom,

    How will this affect their clients or any client of a telerad group that is found liable for this act?  
    Thank you,
    Linda 



    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: $3.1M FCA Settlement Agreement Reminds That Final Radiology Reports Should Be Real

    Posted 04-01-2024 13:16

    Radiology groups that are assisted by contract radiologists either inside the US or outside the US performing preliminary interpretation services need to make sure their own radiologists' work that is billed to Medicare and other payors is "real." Official interpreting radiologists must always independently read and interpret radiological images, and independently prepare their own report based on same.

     

    Thomas W. Greeson

    Partner

    Life Sciences Health Industry Group

    He/Him/His

     

    tgreeson@reedsmith.com

    D: +1 703.641.4242

    M: +1 703.517.0495

     

    Reed Smith LLP

    7900 Tysons One Place

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    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: $3.1M FCA Settlement Agreement Reminds That Final Radiology Reports Should Be Real

    Posted 04-02-2024 08:31

    To take what might be a controversial stand:

    In light of the severe Radiologist shortage, and the prevalence of remote reading, is it reasonable to ask Medicare to CHANGE their rules and allow International interpretations? The Radiologists should be licensed in the State where the images were generated, be enrolled in Medicare, and perhaps even be Certified by the American Board of Radiology. But it would be a helpful resource to use these International Radiologists to supplement the increasing demand in the U.S., especially for overnight coverage.

    Just my $0.02...

    Dan



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    Daniel Strauch MHA
    Chief Operating Officer
    Southtowns Radiology Associates, LLC
    Hamburg NY
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    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: $3.1M FCA Settlement Agreement Reminds That Final Radiology Reports Should Be Real

    Posted 04-02-2024 09:35

    Hi Daniel

    With all due respect, Medicare coverage of work done by overseas radiologists, many of whom earn a fraction of US radiologists, would lead to the collapse of the specialty.  I don't know a single US radiologist who would accept the same pay as a radiologist in India, or even in much of Europe.  They would all retire or go into a different specialty or profession.  Even if Medicare employed GPCI's tied to the cost of operating overseas, simply opening that door would drive down commercial reimbursement to levels that would not be sustainable for US radiologists.  There is nothing other than Medicare and Medicaid restrictions standing in the way of large scale offshoring.

    Dave



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    David Smith FACMPE
    Executive Director
    United Imaging Consultants
    Mission KS
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    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: $3.1M FCA Settlement Agreement Reminds That Final Radiology Reports Should Be Real

    Posted 04-02-2024 09:45

    Daniel – The conditions you outlined licensure, Medicare enrollment etc. all require US training. If the foreign radiologists had those credentials, they would likely be practicing in the US already.

     

    We need visa and licensure requirement reform. Currently, academic centers can benefit the most from foreign radiologists, buy enrolling them in training programs on the path to licensure. We need to find an approach that the same process can be applied for independent practices, to bring in foreign radiologists under a visa structure, train them for a set number of years then have those foreign radiologists eligible for licensure.

     

    But those types of legislative changes take years and I am not knowledgeable enough about the process necessary to enact the changes required to bring that approach to fruition to offer much guidance. Just a thought......

     

    Keith E. Chew, MHA, CMPE, FRBMA

    Principal

    Consulting with Integrity

    217-971-5293

     




    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: $3.1M FCA Settlement Agreement Reminds That Final Radiology Reports Should Be Real

    Posted 04-02-2024 10:02
    I have been working with an immigration attorney to get site approval for a Conrad 30 waiver to exempt J-1 Visa holders from having to return to their home country to practice.
    But even the J1 candidates we interview have many, many options available to them. So far it has not helped us in securing new hires. 







    Original Message


  • 8.  RE: $3.1M FCA Settlement Agreement Reminds That Final Radiology Reports Should Be Real

    Posted 04-02-2024 12:13

    This is not the same issue, but speaking of radiologists reading outside of the country - Can anyone advise on the considerations for U.S. radiologists who vacation outside of the U.S.? Specifically, are they permitted to conduct reads while outside the country, provided there are no concerns with their malpractice or cybersecurity insurance?

     

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    Original Message


  • 9.  RE: $3.1M FCA Settlement Agreement Reminds That Final Radiology Reports Should Be Real

    Posted 04-01-2024 14:58

    What I hated about this article is how the site is saying they didn't know what they were doing. They 100% did and did it to keep up with demand and lower their costs. I wonder how long before someone reports TRS for doing the exact same thing.

    I have multiple Telerad groups I work with who run a similar model, being prereaders and prelim readers. Their PACs is set so Non ABRs can only mark a case as Dictated and no higher. US ABRs reading overseas can only mark as Prelims. It's 2024, this really isn't a complicated thing to do. 



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    Michael Durrant
    Lifetrack Medical Systems
    Bethlehem PA
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    Original Message


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