One of the benefits of being a doctor is the opportunity to treat patients and see them improve. However, when it comes to getting paid for services rendered, it can be a different story. Insurance companies often deny claims.

The challenge: How can you simultaneously enjoy the rewards of treating patients, maintaining a reasonable steady increase in revenue and limiting practice liabilities?

The solution: Add a tool to your arsenal of diagnostics that already include x-rays, scans, MRIs and PETs.

That tool is diagnostic radiology, accomplished through digital radiographic mensurations, also referred to as “computerized enhancement” of plain film radiographs.

Digitized x-rays, often provided in biomechanical, pathology and digitized analysis reports, allow you to produce an outcome-assessment, which helps establish:

• A chiropractic diagnosis for the correction of specific motion segments and functional units;

• A scale to assess the patient’s current conditions, compare serial studies, and determine maximum clinical improvement;

• A specific treatment plan with the clinical goal, to restoration of the functional biomechanics;

• A unique graphical information format of the patient’s biomechanical findings for reference during each treatment session.

Everyone benefits

A better diagnosis benefits you, your patients and even insurance companies, attorneys and other third-party payors.

• Patient benefits. Visuals help patients embrace complicated information. When a doctor prints x-rays onto photographic papers with mensuration lines and provides a statistical analysis showing differences and structural improprieties next to a standard spine, the patient has information that motivates him or her to comply with your treatment, which results in faster, more effective healing.

• Benefits to insurance carriers, attorneys and third-party payors. X-ray analysis is an objective tool that can be used to explain the problem of vertebral subluxation complex to medical doctors, insurance companies and third-party

payors..

It establishes the factual basis of the presence or absence of spinal subluxation; measures the osseous component of the subluxation to either arrive at a clinical decision or assist in the prognosis of the patient; documents reliable pre- and post- changes in the vertebrae motor units stability ; and assists in determining the impairment rating.

• Your benefits. A better diagnosis means you will be able to help your patients improve faster. But using digital diagnostics also decreases liabilities: Your x-rays are read by a board-certified radiologist who is trained to look for details and is able to deliver extensive reports showing comprehensive information and data analysis.

These reports include impairment ratings per the American Medical Association’s Guide to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment using the lasted edition to justify medical necessity.

More revenue: another plus

Digital radiography increases your revenue in two different ways: It improves the chances of reimbursement and it provides you with an additional revenue stream.

• Reimbursement. Insurance companies historically demand documentation and information that justifies medical necessity for treatment.

If your digital service provides a pathology report as well as a biomechanical report and a digitized analysis, you are able to provide insurance companies information they need to approve longer treatment and reimburse with greater compliance.

• Additional revenue.  When board-certified radiologists bill for this process, the referring doctor can bill for a confirmatory consultation in his office. 

Aadam Z.Quraishi, MD, has board certification in diagnostic radiology and specializes in vascular and interventional radiology MRI (neuro and musculosketal), MRA mammography, breast localization, nuclear medicine CT and ultrasound. He can be reached at 866-4PDI-PDI or through e-mail at drQ@aboutpdi.com.
Editor’s note: Always check with your state’s requirements and limitations concerning using and billing for diagnostic services.