Six Years and a Column: The Evolution of a Specialty

Abstract

This is the final “Reimbursement Rounds.” Since its first publication on January 1, 2010, the column has chronicled a number of the economic challenges facing radiology. Early in the column’s run, the economic climate was not especially positive. The first “Reimbursement Rounds” described the CMS “potentially misvalued” initiative and the negative effects this initiative was having on the radiology Current Procedural Terminology code set [ 1 Silva E. New codes from a new source: the rolling five-year review. J Am Coll Radiol. 2010; 7: 10-12 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (17) Google Scholar ]. The first three years included a number of discouraging columns, such as one describing the devaluation of CT scans of the abdomen and pelvis [ 2 Silva E. CT abdomen and pelvis: a case study in devaluation. J Am Coll Radiol. 2011; 8: 300-301 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (8) Google Scholar ] and one describing the “effects of bad math” on radiology’s technical component [ 3 Silva E. The effects of bad math. J Am Coll Radiol. 2012; 9: 160-161 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (2) Google Scholar ]. A later column even summarized six sequential cuts to radiology payments totaling more than $3.8 billion through a letter to Medicare, titled “I Can’t Absorb Anymore” [ 4 Silva E. I can’t absorb anymore. J Am Coll Radiol. 2011; 8: 458-459 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (8) Google Scholar ]. “Reimbursement Rounds” was using a self-protective strategy: shine light on the magnitude of payment reductions so that policymakers will conclude that “enough is enough.”