COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho, March 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- NightHawk Radiology Holdings, Inc. , today released a statement applauding the recent decision by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) not to restrict reimbursement for cardiac CT angiography (CCTA).
CCTA is a non-invasive technology that produces detailed coronary-artery images. It allows physicians to quickly and accurately diagnose patients with no history of heart disease that are experiencing acute heart attack-like chest pain, thus avoiding invasive procedural risks, such as dislodging plaque that can cause a stroke or sudden cardiac death.
"We are pleased that CMS has decided not to restrict reimbursement for CCTA. We believe CCTA is a proven diagnostic tool that can spot disease more quickly, more reliably and, ultimately, at less cost," said William Shea, MD, Vice President of 3D Imaging Services for NightHawk. "We believe CCTA can in many cases reduce the need for hospitalization, for patient observation, and further tests. When hospitalization is required, we believe CCTA can improve patient care, which ultimately can speed discharge. As we all know, avoiding the enormous costs of hospitalization is a key strategy to hold down health care costs."
Shea added, "As a substitute for invasive cardiac catheterization, CCTA would cost approximately $800, compared with $4,000 or more for invasive procedures. Now that CMS has made this decision, we believe that many patients will benefit from this advancement. Heart disease has for a long time been the number one killer in America. We believe that anything that can cut the cost and effectiveness of diagnosing heart disease will have clear benefits for the patients of this country."
Dr. Shea is available for further comment. Contact Robert Minicucci at Warner Communications (603) 488-5856 or robert@warnerpr.com.
About NightHawk
NightHawk Radiology , headquartered in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, is leading the transformation of the practice of radiology by providing high- quality, cost-effective services to radiology groups and hospitals throughout the United States. NightHawk provides the most complete suite of solutions, including professional services, business services, and its advanced, proprietary clinical workflow technology, all designed to increase efficiencies and improve the quality of patient care and the lives of physicians who provide it. NightHawk's team of U.S. board-certified, state- licensed, and hospital-privileged physicians located in the United States, Australia, and Switzerland, provides services 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for more than 750 radiology group customers and the 26% of all U.S. hospitals they serve. For more information, visit http://www.nighthawkrad.net/.
Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains statements that are forward-looking statements as defined within the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding the benefits of CCTA and reimbursement of CCTA by CMS. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the statements made, including the risks associated with general economic conditions and market acceptance of new technologies. Other factors that could cause operating and financial results to differ are described in NightHawk's periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Other risks may be detailed from time to time in reports to be filed with the SEC. NightHawk does not undertake any obligation to publicly update its forward-looking statements based on events or circumstances after the date hereof.
NightHawk Radiology Holdings, Inc.
