Offshore reporting of radiologic examinations supplementing healthcare delivery worthy of Medicare reimbursement

Abstract

Medicare, a major healthcare program under the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has extended telemedicine services within several states in the US for different specialties for which it reimburses in order to establish a qualitative and accessible healthcare system. In parallel, it has been seen that teleradiology services by American Board Certified radiologists based offshore can significantly supplement healthcare delivery in the US by mitigating the shortage of radiologists and enhance outcomes of patient care especially for after-hours emergency work. Teleradiology can help workflow by improving workload distribution, lowering the cost of reporting, shortening turn-around-time for reports, and improving quality of life for staff. The aim of the article is to provide perspective on Medicare reimbursement of offshore telereporting services. We submit that due to its value proposition and contribution to healthcare, offshore telereporting by American Board Certified Radiologists is worthy of Medicare reimbursement and should be re-evaluated for its credits.