Insurer mandates imaging standards
This article was originally published in The Gray Sheet
Executive Summary
UnitedHealthcare, one of the largest U.S. insurers, will require accreditation of medical imaging facilities by March 2008, the company announces Jan. 12. Accreditation standards from the American College of Radiology and the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission addressing personnel training, equipment specifications, patient safety and quality of care will focus on high cost services like magnetic resonance, cardiac tomography and positron emission tomography. The accreditation is intended to decrease inappropriate use of imaging and improve diagnostic quality, a strategy CMS also may consider (1"The Gray Sheet" Nov. 20, 2006, p. 11)...