In Massachusetts, the Pros and Cons of New Imaging Technology
Fast-growing spending on imaging tests in Massachusetts gives a closeup view to the many-sided question of whether improved technology is really worth the extra cost.
The facts, as laid out by the Boston Globe this morning: Spending on MRIs, mammograms, and other imaging tests for privately insured Massachusetts residents jumped 20%, or $214 million, between 2006 and 2008, according to consultants hired by the state. Doctors ordering more tests was one reason for the added spending.
Digital mammography was another prime driver as some insurers pay more for these breast-screening tests and hospitals have invested upward of $400,000 for such new machines, compared with $100,000 for earlier units. The digital technology is faster and can be used with electronic health records.
But there hasn’t been any evidence that digital mammograms hold a significant edge in detecting cancer in most women compared with older tests, the Globe says. It also turns out that more imaging tests these days are being done in hospitals, which charge more for the services than independent clinics.
A scan done in a hospital is of no better quality and is not being read by a more qualified radiologist than one done in a freestanding clinic, the paper quotes an […]
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