2025 June Ebrief of the FRS & FRBMA

Edition: June 2025

Table of Contents

Letter from the Editor | FRS President's Message | FRBMA President's Message
Legislative Update | Announcing our New FRS Career Center
Become a PAC Member

FRS Membership
Dues

Please contact the American College of Radiology Membership Services at (800) 347-7748 to pay your 2025 Florida Radiological Society membership dues.

Meet Your 2024 - 2025 FRS Executive Committee


President Juan Batlle, MD, FACR	President Elect Andrew Bowman, MD, PhD	Treasurer Edem Chen, MD


Secretary James Banks, MD	Past President Laura Vallow, MD	Radiation Oncology, Chair Jennifer Peterson, MD

Letter from the Editor
		Dear colleagues, The ACR 2025 Annual Meeting convened from May 3 to May 7 in Washington, D.C., bringing together radiologists, radiation oncologists, and allied professionals to engage in educational sessions, policy discussions, and collaborative networking.
The meeting featured a diverse array of educational sessions, including workshops, symposia, and ePosters. Topics spanned various subspecialties, with a notable emphasis on AI integration, enterprise imaging, and the evolving landscape of radiology practice management. A number of bylaws were modernized, practice parameters and technical standards were renewed and adopted, and lengthy debate about non-physician provider scope of practice was held during the council sessions. The Economics Forum provided a range of updates about procedure codes. CT colonography was approved as of Jan 1, 2025. Other CPT updates that go into effect in 2026: Diagnostic tomosynthesis will be permanently recognized as a billable procedure (it was provisional until now) CTA head and CTA neck will be bundled CT perfusion, various cardiac CT studies and percutaneous carpal tunnel release will become category 1 codes (previously Category 3) New codes for: MRI safety, dosimetry, radiation treatment delivery, superficial radiation therapy, revascularization of lower extremities, irreversible electroporation and thoracic branch endograft revision ACR recognized several individuals for their exceptional contributions to the field: Gold Medalists: Dr. Jacqueline Bello, Dr. Beverly Coleman, and Dr. Alan Kaye were honored for their outstanding service and leadership in radiology. Honorary Fellows: Dr. Boris Brkljaĉić (Croatia), Dr. Evelyn Lai Ming Ho (Malaysia), and Dr. Sandra Lynne Turner (Australia) were inducted for their international impact and collaboration in radiology. Global Humanitarian Award: The ACR Foundation presented the Global Humanitarian Award to Frank Minja, MD and Toma Omofoye, MD, recognizing their work to improve access to and equitable delivery of quality radiological services in low- and middle-income countries and in areas of need within more developed nations. Nearly 500 "radvocates" engaged in approximately 250 meetings with congressional offices on “Capitol Hill Day” to advocate for issues affecting radiologists, radiation oncologists, medical physicists and our patients. We emphasized the potential for appropriate use of imaging to offset the challenges many practices face due to workforce shortages and cost savings to CMS. Permanent reforms to Medicare physician payment adjusting for inflation Amendments to the Appropriate Use Criteria (AUC) section of the Protecting Access to Medicare Act (PAMA) to ensure long awaited implementation of this rule were at the top of the list. House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN) was honored with the Congressional Award for Radiological Excellence (CARE Award) during this event. Looking Ahead: The importance of advocacy, education, and international collaboration is more important now than ever before in advancing the field of radiology and ensuring safe, equitable and value based radiological care. No matter what stage you are in your career, there’s something for everyone to gain from attending with special programming for students, residents/fellows, young and early career, mid-career, and late career plus plenty of networking opportunities and a refreshed job fair for those seeking employment. The 2025 Florida Radiological Society and Florida Radiology Business and Management Association are hosting their combined annual meeting July 11-13 at the Westin Fort Lauderdale Beach, FL. The 2026 ACR Annual Meeting will be held May 2–6, 2026 at the Washington Hilton in D.C. I encourage you to join both meetings and to recruit friends and coworkers to come along. For more detailed information and access to session materials, attendees and members can visit the FRS and ACR websites. https://www.flrad.org/2025-annual-meeting-frs-frbma/ https://www.acr.org/Education-and-CME/Calendar/Annual-Meeting Be sure to follow the FRS on the social media platform of your choice to stay in the know about what’s happening at local, state and national levels. https://linktr.ee/floridarad
James Banks, MD Secretary, FRS

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FRS President's Message
		Our e-brief messages this month will all probably align -- please help us with spreading the word about the FRS Annual Meeting next month! Fri July 11 - Sun Jul 13 at the Westin Ft Lauderdale Beach Resort. Please Click Here for more information. The hotel cut-off date is June 17th so please act fast.
We will have the CEO of the ACR, the ACR's Board of Chancellors Chair, and many esteemed speakers from throughout the state. Let others in your group know about the meeting, which is always a great place to learn, meet others, and enjoy some time at a wonderful venue. Many thanks to Dr. Phil Cook our Program & Education Chair and our Program Chairs (Drs. Kimberly Beavers--Radiology, Jennifer Peterson--Radiation Oncology, Cameron Overfield--RFS, and Barbara Rubel and Jeff Younger--FRBMA) for providing a robust, thoughtful program Brochure). Thanks also to the Program & Education Committee as a whole and ESI. There is programming for radiologists, radiation oncologists, and residents and fellows, so there is something for everyone. I personally cherish the camaraderie of in-person interaction, the sharing of best practices among the attendees, and the chance to participate in a broader discussion of our shared house of Radiology.
Juan Batlle, MD, FACR President, Florida Radiological Society

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FRBMA President's Message
		Revenue Cycle Management Best Practices in 2025 Adapting to Payer Shifts, Prior Authorization Pressures, and Florida-Specific Billing Challenges As we move through 2025, radiology practices in Florida are facing unprecedented complexity in the revenue cycle. From payer behavior that’s increasingly opaque to regulatory changes unique to our state, staying financially healthy demands smarter processes, stronger analytics, and a more proactive strategy.
Payer Behavior: Smarter Systems, Tougher Tactics Payers are leveraging AI and machine learning to flag “problematic” claims faster than ever, resulting in increased denials—many of them retroactive. We’re seeing narrowing networks, reclassification of procedures, and bundled payment models creeping into previously fee-for-service territories. Practices must now audit their top payers regularly, track denial reasons systematically, and revisit contract language at least annually, although more often is recommended. The Prior Authorization Puzzle Despite CMS’s efforts to push for prior authorization automation, practices continue to struggle with delays and inconsistent responses, particularly in Florida. Some payers have adopted electronic PA tools; others lag far behind. The result? Bottlenecks in scheduling, frustrated patients, and lost revenue. Successful practices are investing in automation and building specialized teams for pre-visit financial clearance. Florida-Specific Billing Headaches Our state brings its own challenges: a web of Medicaid managed care organizations, aggressive OIG audits, and unpredictable enforcement of both federal and state-level “No Surprises” laws. If your billing partner isn’t fluent in Florida policy nuances, your risk exposure may be higher than you think. What Works in 2025 Deploy full-cycle RCM dashboards with real-time KPIs Train clinical and admin teams on proper documentation to support medical necessity Engage referrers with quick-reference tools for imaging indications Perform monthly denial trend analyses, not quarterly Final Thoughts 2025 isn’t about returning to pre-COVID billing norms—it’s about evolving past them. Whether you’re an independent group or part of a larger network, your financial survival depends on the agility and alignment of your revenue cycle team. FRBMA and FRS encourage all members to share success stories, identify vendor partners who deliver, and attend educational sessions on revenue cycle modernization.
Janene W. Markuske, MBA, FRBMA President, FRBMA

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Legislative Update
	The Legislative session is continuing with the House and Senate extending to June 6th to finalize the budget. Unfortunately the acrimony between the bodies has created an environment that has made it difficult to complete this task.
The House after stating the Senate broke faith on their agreement on a sales tax relief package convened themselves and passed a concurrent resolution to extend the Session until June 30th. There was much discussion on whether the two bodies could resolve their differences in time to pass a budget before July 1. Fortunately, on Friday May 30th, the President and Speaker of the House came to agreement and a budget deal was struck. They sent memorandums out to their respective bodies requesting them to come back to Tallahassee on June 3rd to complete the budget process which is anticipated to be voted out on June 16th. Details are being worked through by budget conferees and Chairs and meetings are being held on one hour notice. There will be a different concurrent resolution passed to extend until June 16th. On the legislative front the Governor has vetoed HB 6017 by Rep Trabulsey, the companion bill was by Sen Yarborough, SB 734. This is the bill we heavily opposed, which would have allowed adults and parents to claim pain and suffering in malpractice suits instead of only allowing for consideration of economic damages. The Governor stated in his veto remarks that he was concerned this measure would lead to a spike in frivolous cases and an exodus of medical professionals from the state. HB 1299 by Rep Yarkowsky, companion measure SB 1270 by Sen Collins is the Department of Health bill. It contains the mobility issue which deals with pathways for licensure into the state. The bill made it to the Governor’s desk for final action and he has signed it into law. It has been the most unusual session of my entire lobbying career and I like many are ready for this session to end.
Best, Alison Dudley Lobbyist, FRS AlisonDudley@dudleyandassociates.com

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2025 Annual Meeting of the
FRS & FRBMA

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Please join the Florida Radiological Society and the Florida Radiology Business Management Association for the 2025 Annual Meeting at The Westin Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort, July 11-13, 2025. The meeting will focus on “Beyond the Screen: Creativity and Vision in Modern Radiology Practice” and will feature lectures by faculty who are leaders in the practice of radiology. We look forward to seeing you in July.

FRS Meeting Registration

FRBMA Meeting Registration

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Announcing our New FRS Career Center
The Florida Radiological Society is proud to announce its new and improved FRS Career Center - the premier resource to connect career opportunities with highly qualified radiology talent. The Career Center is designed to provide you with a better overall experience through a modern design and an intuitive interface. You will be able to access the Career Center through any device of your choice- smartphone, tablet, or desktop. To access FRS Career Center, visit: Careers.flrad.org The FRS Career Center will allow you to: Manage Your Career: Search and apply to the best radiology jobs at organizations that value your credentials! Upload your anonymous resume so employers can contact you, but you maintain control of your information and choose to whom you release your information. Receive an alert every time a job becomes available that matches your personal profile, skills, interests, and preferred location(s). Access career resources and job searching tips and tools. Recruit for Open Positions: Post your jobs, or your organization’s jobs, where the most qualified radiology professionals will find and apply to them. Promote your jobs directly to Florida Radiological Society job seekers via our exclusive Job Flash email. Search the resume database and contact qualified candidates proactively. Expose your job postings to a larger audience through our NEW diversity, veterans and social networks. Take a look & log on today at Careers.flrad.org We hope this new career center will make a significant difference for our members as they navigate their career paths. Thank you for your ongoing support.
Sincerely, Executive Director Florida Radiological Society

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Become A PAC Member Today
Attention FRBMA Members! Please support the cause. We encourage you to be PAC members and supporters; you do not have to belong to the FRS. Donations can be made online through our PAC website www.FLRADPAC.org. Thank you for your donation. It is critical that we support both our Florida PAC and RADPAC in order to bolster our voice in Tallahassee and Washington, respectively. Please join FRS lobbyist Alison Dudley in her special appeal for all Florida radiologists to become Florida PAC members. If you would like to help FRS defend radiology against untoward legislation and introduce bills that have a positive impact on our practices, we need your financial support to re-elect our friends in the state House and Senate. The FRS can also show you simplified ways on how to sign up your radiology group. Contact Lorraine Roger at lroger@flrad.org or Alison Dudley at alisondudley@dudleyandassociates.com contact for more information.

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