Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Smaller Clinics, Hospitals Rent Portable PET/CT Scanners As Demand Grows
Modern Healthcare: Mobile PET/CT Scanners Gain Traction As Hospitals See Demand Grow
Small hospitals and clinics are turning to mobile PET/CT scanner rental companies so they can offer advanced imaging to patients without the steep investment of owning the equipment. Mobile equipment rental is expanding most rapidly in cardiac imaging, as providers look to replace older technology and care for more patients with heart disease. A recent innovation in the space, an injectable radioactive imaging agent for cardiovascular scans that has a longer lifespan, is creating opportunities to bring the mobile scanning technology to more providers and communities. (Dubinsky, 11/20)
In other health care industry news —
Modern Healthcare: Medicare Dialysis Pay To Increase 2.2% In 2026 Under CMS Rule
Dialysis facilities will receive a 2.2% reimbursement increase next year under a final rule the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services published Thursday. That’s higher than the 1.9% bump CMS proposed in June under the End-Stage Renal Disease Prospective Payment System for 2026. The base rate for dialysis services will rise from $273.82 to $281.71, according to a news release. Hospital-based dialysis providers will get a 1.5% payment hike, CMS says. (Early, 11/20)
The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer: Judge Appoints Receiver For Cleveland Healthcare Nonprofit NEON
A federal judge has appointed a receiver to take over the operations of a nonprofit that runs health care clinics after a cascading series of issues in recent years. (Ferrise, 11/20)
The CT Mirror: Hartford HealthCare Could Acquire 2 Prospect Hospitals By Year End
After years of uncertainty regarding the future of the Connecticut hospitals owned by bankrupt operator Prospect Medical Holdings, two of the three facilities could have a new owner by the end of the year. (Golvala, 11/20)
WDJT/CNN/CNN Newsource: Lawsuit Against Hospital Dismissed By Judge After Brain Accidentally Thrown Out
A judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by the family of Ashtyn Fellenz against Children's Wisconsin after the hospital accidentally discarded her brain, which was intended for research. Ashtyn Fellenz, diagnosed with Canavan disease as a baby, received a groundbreaking gene therapy treatment at age three. Despite the disease's grim prognosis, she lived to 24. (11/21)
