A new regulation has been launched under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act affecting practices under the in-office ancillary exception of the Stark law. Referring doctors who offer in-office screening services must offer their patients with a list of other options in their region.
According to this new rule, Thomas W. Greeson, a partner at the Falls Church, Va., office of healthcare group Reed Smith LLP mentioned that most diagnostic imaging centers and radiology groups will not be affected directly, however, he reported that some radiology groups are going to be subjected to the requirement, for instance interventional radiologists, who are working as treating doctors.
This new regulation could be a marketing chance for radiology practices in order to be included into primary care providers lists and the referring practice has their latest contact information. A lot of radiology groups have entered into relationships with those practices, offering interpretation and supervision services, but Greeson reported that “they are going to want to be on the list.”
The provider must offer patients with a list of at least five suppliers within 25-mile radius of the office. Doctors who bill for CT, PET and MRI scans should improve procedures and inform their patients that they can acquire, somewhere else, the same screening services. Heather B. Deixler, an associate with Davis Wright Tremaine LLP reported that "just wants to make sure patients know they have options for providers they can see, and that providers are giving patients those options and not just referring to themselves”.
It is not necessary for the providers’ list to be involved or included in the medical record. However, Deixler noted that it’s a good idea to document that the disclosure was given. “We suggest doing a checklist in the medical record, and check it off so that you know it happened.” A new study refers how many practices own improved screening tools. According to the center for Studying Health System Change, 1 in 6 doctors in 2008 mentioned their practice owned such equipment.
The study was supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and it discovered that Non-procedure-based specialists, for instance neurologists, accounted for 13. 5% and procedure-based specialists for instance cardiologists represented 15.7 percent. Among those owning improved screening tools, 30.0 % were surgeons and 10.6 % were primary-care physicians treating adults.
