Go Figure

GAO: Doctors' 'self-referrals' cost Medicare more than $100M

In 2010, doctors who self-referred made 400,000 more referrals than they would have if they didn't have a financial interest in ordering more tests, GAO said. The added referrals cost Medicare roughly $109 million. GAO examined doctors' referrals for MRIs and CT scans over a six-year period. The number of self-referrals for MRIs grew by 80 percent in that time, while non-self referrals grew by only 12 percent, GAO found.
Unnecessary referrals for some tests can be harmful to patients, not just the Medicare program. Tests that use radiation — including CT scans — can increase the risk of cancer.