Diagnostic imaging on the rise; insurers respond with tighter scrutiny.

Diagnostic imaging has been called the biggest driver of increasing healthcare costs. A study published in the November/December 2008 issue of the journal Health Affairs reviews data covering about 5 million radiology tests among 377,000 patients enrolled in the Group Health Cooperative in the state of Washington between 1997 and 2006. The authors found that the average total imaging cost per patient/year doubled during the study period, from $229 to $443. Study results showed the per-patient number of computed tomography (CT) scans doubled over the 10 years, and the number of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans tripled across the board, with no single patient group or disease group dominating. According to the researchers, newer tests are being conducted in addition to, rather than instead of, older tests, leading to an increase in costs.
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