Roadmap for reform: outlook for imaging under accountable care

The primary goals of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act are to expand insurance coverage through an individual mandate, and to reduce growing healthcare costs through new risk-based payment models and the formation of ACOs. With the high cost of exams and steady growth through the last decade, imaging appears to be a prime target for savings under accountable care. Given that some of the reform payment models are set to begin as early as next year, and private payers are increasingly instituting similar risk-based payment models in their plans, it is critical for imaging leaders to understand how these models will affect their growth strategy and prepare accordingly. A thorough analysis of the various payment models, considering all possible targets for cost savings, is required to accurately determine the timing and impact for imaging.