The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) has issued an update to its recommendations for medical insurance coverage regarding the use of proton beam therapy to treat cancer. The updated Proton Beam Therapy Model Policy provides guidance to payers on clinical indications that are appropriate for treatment with proton therapy and should be covered by health insurance, including Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance.

July 14, 2017 — Fluorine-18 (18F)-fluoromisonidazole (FMISO) is a positron emission tomography (PET) radiotracer that is ...

As the debate over healthcare insurance coverage continues, Senate Republicans on Thursday unveiled the revised version of the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA) to repeal and replace Obamacare after the first attempt was met with strong opposition within their own party. The changes in the revised version are aimed at appeasing more moderate Republicans and expanding aid for lower-income people.

Imaging Technology News extends its condolences to the AuntMinnie.com team on the loss of International Editor Eric Barnes, who died on July 5 after a brief illness. According to its site, Barnes was one of AuntMinnie.com's founding editors. He joined the company in October 1999, just a few months before it launched at RSNA 1999. A Michigan native, he came to AuntMinnie.com as part of a career in health journalism, and quickly made his mark on the industry.

Volpara Solutions Inc. will showcase its new Volpara Enterprise DDP software at the Association for Medical Imaging Management (AHRA)'s 45th Annual Meeting and Exposition, July 9-12, in Anaheim, Calif. The VolparaEnterprise Clinical Applications software package offers access to VolparaDensity, VolparaDose and VolparaPressure, in a software-as-a-service (SaaS) subscription model for the first time. Volpara Solutions will showcase its entire suite of quantitative breast imaging tools, which allow for personalized measurements of volumetric breast density, patient dose, breast compression and other factors designed to help maintain accuracy and consistent quality in breast screening.

AHRA (the Association for Medical Imaging Management) and Toshiba Medical announced the tenth year of their Putting Patients First program. Putting Patients First grants enable healthcare facilities to fund programs, training or seminars aimed at improving patient care and safety and customizing treatment in computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound, X-ray and vascular imaging. The grants are funded by an unrestricted educational grant from Toshiba Medical.

The Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute has updated the Radiologist Patient-Facing Dataset (RPFD) with 2015 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) data. This free resource allows radiologists to determine if they would be designated as patient-facing by CMS. This designation affects Merit-Based Incentive System (MIPS) participation. The tool also allows practices to look up all the radiologists in their practice to determine if they are likely to be exempt under the MIPS group reporting option.

GE Healthcare showcased positron emission tomography (PET) and single photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) advancements at the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) 2017 that will enable clinicians to deliver personalized, quantitative results to patients. Introduced in 2016, Discovery MI and Discovery NM/CT 670 CZT both offer flexible, digital capabilities that help clinicians guide treatment and support patients with sensitive care while creating an environment for compelling research.