News From Around the Web
> A New York law went into effect Jan. 19 requiring mammography providers to inform women if they have dense breast tissue. New York is the fourth state to pass such legislation. A breast density law goes into effect in California on April 1, and similar legislation is being considered in another dozen states. Announcement
> The Medical Imaging & Technology Alliance is touting the value of imaging in the wake of a report by the American Cancer Society that the death rate from cancer has dropped by 20 percent over the last two decades. "The proof lies in the statistics: advanced medical imaging promotes early detection and more effective treatment, ultimately saving lives," MITA Executive Director Gail Rodriguez said in a statement. "It is critical that policymakers keep the evidence in mind when making future coverage decisions that will impact access to life-saving technologies." Announcement
> Radiology practices and departments are contending with a shortage of barium. According to the American College of Radiology, reports from manufacturers indicate that normal production of the material began in November, but because of a backlog of orders, distribution may not normalize until this spring. Announcement
Health Insurance News
> Health insurers operating in Oregon and California have been ordered to stop denying coverage to transgender members. Although the states haven't required insurers to cover any specific medical treatments for transgender members, they told the insurers they must cover hormone therapy, breast reduction and cancer screening. Essentially, insurers must cover any procedure determined as medically necessary if they would cover that procedure for members who aren't transgender. Article
Mobile Healthcare News
> Approximately 2.8 million patients worldwide used home-based remote monitoring services from dedicated devices in 2012, a trend that will continue grow over the next few years, according to new research from analyst firm Berg Insight. Article
And Finally... It's not a taxi service. Article