On May 17, the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) announced the Value Initiative Industry Alliance—a collaboration among corporate community members that will help implement the organization’s Value Initiative and advance nuclear medicine.

On Tuesday, May 16, the vice president of the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) testified in front of an Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) committee, stating the proposed tariffs on Chinese imports would equate to $2.25 billion in taxes on many of its members, which include medical imaging device manufacturers.

A recent Black Book Market Research survey of administrators from 709 hospitals and inpatient organizations found medical imaging among the most popular services hospitals are considering outsourcing to save money.

The U.S. leads 22 comparable countries in MRI price, availability and use, according to a data report published by the Kaiser Family Foundation. The report was recently presented at a forum held by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Peterson Center on Healthcare in Washington, D.C.

In 2015, Medicare spent $762.1 million on imaging services in Massachusetts, with per beneficiary spending 14 percent higher than the average state. A Boston Business Journal report suggests increased imaging costs and higher utilization of imaging services are to blame.

Chris Tomlinson, VP of enterprise radiology at Jefferson Health and finance chair at the Association for Medical Imaging Management (AHRA), spoke with HealthImaging about these issues—and why the "commoditization” of imaging may be at the heart of the problem.