Noninvasive imaging drove an increase in the number of claims and the amount of allowed charges by cardiologists from 1999-2008, according to a study in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.
Researchers analyzed fee-for-service Medicare Part B claims for cardiology from 1999-2008. They found that in that time frame, the number of cardiologists' claims increased 44 percent and their allowed charges increased 28 percent after adjusting for inflation.
The increase in claims and allowed charges by cardiologists was driven primarily by noninvasive procedures, which saw a 70 percent increase in claims. The majority of the growth in noninvasive procedures occurred in resting echocardiograms and stress tests with nuclear imaging.
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Researchers analyzed fee-for-service Medicare Part B claims for cardiology from 1999-2008. They found that in that time frame, the number of cardiologists' claims increased 44 percent and their allowed charges increased 28 percent after adjusting for inflation.
The increase in claims and allowed charges by cardiologists was driven primarily by noninvasive procedures, which saw a 70 percent increase in claims. The majority of the growth in noninvasive procedures occurred in resting echocardiograms and stress tests with nuclear imaging.
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