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Editor: Mike Bothwell
Profession: Qui Tam Attorney

Category: Qui Tam Legal News

Several areas of imaging facilities were placed on OIG's 2008 workplan....

OIG announced its intention to focus on several areas relating to imaging, including zeroing in on geographical areas with high frequency of ultrasound utilization and with high density of inpatient diagnostic testing facilties. The OIG also plans to examine financial relationships relating to MRI usage, focusing particularly on whether such arrangements lead to increased utlization.

Other areas targeted by OIG's work plan include: (1) services performed by clinical social workers; (2) payment for psychiatric services; (3) selected physician services; (4) interventional pain management procedures (a relatively new, quickly growing field for which Medicare paid nearly $2 billion in 2005); and (5) chiropractic treatments (a recent OIG study suggests about 40% of chiropractic treatments currently billed for do not meet coverage criteria).