Re: Level three sonogram
From: art fougner, md (evsono@pipeline.com)
Tue Jul 16 17:09:45 2002
right - i can see the folks linin up to request the low cost no frills
low quality study LOL.
art
At Tue, 16 Jul 2002, Allen Worrall wrote:
>
>Vivienne - I think there is an element of charging what the traffic will bear. Also, there is often a big difference between what we charge and what we collect. The third party payers will only pay what they want to pay.
>
>I sometimes think the insurance industry does not pay much attention to prenatal ultrasound, because it is a drop in the bucket compared to many of the medical procedures they have to pay for.
>
>I have no way of knowing how the charges differ from one place to another. I am in a position to know that the quality of the exam, and the quality of the reports, varies tremendously from one place to another.
>
>I suspect there is little correlation between the charge and the quality.
>
>Allen
>
>Joseph A Worrall MD RDMS
>The Fairbanks Clinic
>1919 Lathrop Street, Suite 100
>Fairbanks, AK 99701
>jworrall@alaska.net
>http://www.obgynsono.com
>
>>> ----- Original Message -----
> From: viv souter
> To: Multiple recipients of list ULTRASOUND
> Sent: Tuesday, July 16, 2002 6:54 AM
> Subject: RE: Level three sonogram
>
> Hi
>
> I am a bit confused about charging for ultrasound exams in the USA; some centers charge large amounts of money for a limited exam and I have been told that this is because the scan is being performed by a "more highly trained person" (an ob/gyn with subspecialty training rather than a radiologist) and that it is a level three scan (!!). As a lowly British doctor, I am at a loss to understand this......
>
> Vivienne
>
> "DuBose, Terry" <DuboseTerryJ@uams.edu> wrote:
>
> Karen, I think "level three" is a meaningless term. Probably used by some
> to inflate their ego(s). There are different ideas about how the level 1
> and 2 got started, and the meaning. The AIUM and CPT codes do not recognize
> any but complete and limited exams, no levels 1 or 2.
>
> For an interesting take on this look for an AJR editorial by Dr. Roy
> Filly... for more see:
>
> http://forums.obgyn.net/womens-health/WHF.9709/0168.html
>
> Hope this helps.
>
> 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: kroersmardms@netscape.net [mailto:kroersmardms@n! etscape.net]
> Sent: Monday, July 15, 2002 8:29 PM
> To: Multiple recipients of list ULTRASOUND
> Subject: Level three sonogram
>
> What's a "level three" sonogram? I've not heard this term before First
> Look used it on website. I thought even the "level two" moniker was
> going by the wayside in favor of "targeted" scan.
>
> ~Karen
--
art fougner, md
ich bin ein New Yorker
