Re: OB 3D ultrasound
From: art fougner, md (evsono@pipeline.com)
Thu Jun 6 15:03:40 2002
If you bill additionally, you may find yourself in breach of some if not
all managed care contracts. if you don't you upset some folks. sure
ain't easy. pity they don't reimburse for the quality of the machine or
the level of expertise of the sonographer. as long as we collectively
are willing to provide steak at hamburger prices we are surely on the
road to ruin.
art
At Thu, 6 Jun 2002, DuBose, Terry wrote:
>
>Cheryl, this is creating havoc all over the country. There is no good
>answer for your question(s).
>
>We have been discussing this for almost 10 years, I know... the SDMS, AIUM,
>and FDA (and probably the ACR, AMA, and ACOG) have policy statements on the
>Web that non-medical use of sonography is not good.
>http://www.sdms.org/positions/videoob.asp
>http://www.aium.org/consumer/statement_selected.asp?statement=2
>http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/consumer/fetalvideos.html
>
>However, if there is a physician's order, then it appears that it will be
>your laboratory's call on this one. "Is it ethical/legal to bill the patient
>"out-of-pocket" for the 3D only?" Is it medical? Given the state of our
>federal administration and the corporate culture, questions about "ethics"
>may be moot.
>
>Because this is so new there really are no rules... in fact it is tempting
>to me to leave academia, appears I could make a lot more money, and have
>more freedom in my schedule. The FDA certainly is not enforcing any of
>their own regulations on this, "Keep Sake Videos" are for sale all over the
>Web and the country. And I am afraid that luminaries like Dr.
>Timor-Tritsch going on national TV with "4D" last month has only exacerbated
>the confusion.
>
>Good luck, and let us know what you decide.
>
>Peace, Terry J. DuBose, M.S., RDMS
>Assistant Professor & Director, Diagnostic Medical Sonography Program
>CHRP, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
>Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
>501-686-6510
>http://www.io.com/~dubose/
>http://www.uams.edu/CHRP/dmshome.htm
>http://www.obgyn.net/us/panel/panel.htm
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Cheryl Turner [mailto:cheryl_norris@hotmail.com]
>Sent: Thursday, June 06, 2002 1:45 PM
>To: Multiple recipients of list SONOGRAPHERS-CONNECTION
>Subject: OB 3D ultrasound
>
>I have a problem I would like to ask everyone's input. Especially those with
>experience with 3D.
>
>We have a lab with several machines and ONE new GE 3D/4D machine. We do 95
>percent OB/GYN studies. Currently, we are only using (and billing) the 3D
>when it is warranted to compliment the study. For example, an anomalous
>fetus or a sonohysterogram to better assess the location of the polyp etc.
>Of course, everyone wants a 3D of their baby and clearly everyone cannot be
>scanned on the one machine, therefore, to be fair, no normal fetuses are
>being done 3D.
>The insurance is obviously not going to reimburse 3D on every scan and we
>don't want to get the insurance in the habit of denying 3D when is is
>warranted. Is it ethical/legal to bill the patient "out-of-pocket" for the
>3D only? Every patient has a physicians order, is scanned by RDMS registered
>sonographers, and studies are read by a board certified radiologist. The 3D
>ads on TV are creating havock in our lab. Comments?
--
art fougner, md
ich bin ein New Yorker
|
|
