June 5, 2014 — Magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) using the Exablate system by Insightec Ltd. (based in Tirat Carmel, Israel) is a relatively new noninvasive thermal ablation option, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved for treating and palliating pain from bone metastases. The technology integrates high-intensity focused ultrasound and a real-time magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system in one unit.

When a health insurance company denies a claim, most people complain to their friends and family and then accept it, arranging payment methods or even denying themselves a procedure that may save their life. However, one patient decided to fight back and challenge her insurance carrier.

An art critic once wrote, “If all women resembled those painted by Picasso, the Earth would be depopulated toward the end of the century.” The critic was speaking about Picasso’s “Woman in a Green Hat,” describing the model in the painting as “corpselike,” “greenish” and “formless.”

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 changed the healthcare IT landscape for providers by offering money in exchange for the adoption and implementation of electronic medical records (EMR). One year later, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) upped the ante with new regulations for privacy, accountable care and insurance coverage. The combination of the two acts has left most providers and provider organizations struggling to see the forest through the trees as the deadlines to comply with both acts draw ever closer.

Even for the most seasoned radiologists and hospital administrators, the rapid advances on new technology such as cloud storage, Web-based software and mobile apps may leave some wondering where to start when vetting healthcare IT vendors. For those who feel this description fits them, you are not alone; a session on this topic was packed solid during the 2014 Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) annual meeting in February.