Wiki Tomotherapy question

[metzger130]

We are getting a new machine and it will take about 4.5 months to get it installed and make sure everything is working correctly. During those months we will be using TomoTherapy for everyone. So a question we have is:

TomoTherapy automatically provides image guidance even though we do not need on specific cases. Would we bill for the image guidance even when not needed since it is done?

I am thinking we can only bill when truly needed but wanted to ask people with more experience.

Thanks!
Rob

 

[astuart@pmsia.com]

I had almost this exact same situation at a facility that I bill for. We choose not to bill for IGRT unless it was medically necessary to that particular patient's treatment. Something else to consider, if you are treating all patient on tomo, you are technically treating all patients with IMRT which, again, may not be medically necessary.