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The Relative Value Scale Update Committee (RUC) plays a critical role in determining physician payment. When the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) transitioned to paying physicians based on the ResourceBased Relative Value Scale, the American Medical Association developed this unique multispecialty committee. Physicians at the RUC determine the resources required to provide physician services and recommend appropriate payment for those services. The RUC then submits its recommendations to CMS. Physicians have thus been important in determining relative value and hence payment for the services they provide.

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Purpose The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic affected radiology practices in many ways. The aim of this survey was to estimate declines in imaging volumes and financial impact across different practice settings during April 2020. Methods The survey, comprising 48 questions, was conducted among members of the ACR and the Radiology Business Management Association during May 2020. Survey questions focused on practice demographics, volumes, financials, personnel and staff adjustments, and anticipation of recovery. Results During April 2020, nearly all radiology practices reported substantial (56.4%-63.7%) declines in imaging volumes, with outpatient imaging volumes most severely affected. Mean gross charges declined by 50.1% to 54.8% and collections declined by 46.4% to 53.9%. Percentage reductions did not correlate with practice size. The majority of respondents believed that volumes would recover but not entirely (62%-88%) and anticipated a short-term recovery, with a surge likely in the short term due to postponement of elective imaging (52%-64%). About 16% of respondents reported that radiologists in their practices tested positive for COVID-19. More than half (52.3%) reported that availability of personal protective equipment had become an issue or was inadequate. A majority (62.3%) reported that their practices had existing remote reading or teleradiology capabilities in place before the pandemic, and 22.3% developed such capabilities in response to the pandemic. Conclusions Radiology practices across different settings experienced substantial declines in imaging volumes and collections during the initial wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in April 2020. Most are actively engaged in both short- and long-term operational adjustments.

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The Affordable Care Act enters its fifth year firmly entrenched in our national consciousness. One method that has entered the vernacular for achieving cost savings is accountable care. There are other approaches that are less well known. The Bundled Payments for Care Improvement Initiative has the potential to significantly impact neurointerventionalists. We review that initiative here.

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Incidental appendiceal neuroendocrine tumors (ANETs) occur in 0.2–0.7% of surgical resections for suspected appendicitis (Moris, Tsilimigras, Vagios, Ntanasis-stathopoulos, Karachaliou, Papalampros, et al. Neuroendocrine neoplasms of the appendix: a review of the literature. Anticancer Res [Internet]. 2018; 38 :601–11.). It’s a rare entity, clinically challenging and has controversy surrounding its management. A 69-year-old male presented to our clinic with acute right lower quadrant abdominal pain with less than 24 hours of evolution. The presumed clinical diagnosis was acute appendicitis. It was performed a laparoscopic appendectomy and the histopathologic result of the specimen showed neuroendocrine tumor of the appendix. ANETs are rare and typically diagnosed as incidental histopathologic finds in appendices specimens. However, they are the most common tumors arising from de appendix, between 30% and 80% of the cases (Pape, Niederle, Costa, Gross, Kelestimur, Kianmanesh, et al. ENETS consensus guidelines for neuroendocrine neoplasms of the appendix (excluding goblet cell carcinomas). Neuroendocrinology . 2016; 103 :144–52). Appendectomy may be sufficing for tumors <2 cm and they are associated with good long-term outcomes.