Evolving Use of fMRI in Medicare Beneficiaries

Using the Medicare Physician-Supplier Procedure Summary Master File, we evaluated the evolving use of fMRI in Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries from 2007 through 2017. Annual use rates (per 1,000,000 enrollees) increased from 17.7 to 32.8 through 2014 and have remained static since. Radiologists have remained the dominant specialty group from 2007 to 2017 (86.4% and 88.6% of all services, respectively), and the outpatient setting has remained the dominant place of service (65.4% and 65.4%, respectively).