FRS & FRBMA Annual Meeting • July 17 - 19, 2026
Edition: March 2026
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
FRS Membership Dues
Please contact the American College of Radiology Membership Services at (800) 347-7748 to pay your
2026 Florida Radiological Society membership dues.
Meet Your 2025 - 2026 FRS Executive Committee
Letter from the Editor
Dear Colleagues,

It is likely that your practice has already encountered some challenges relating to physician shortages. Workforce shortages are expected to worsen over the next several years. According to the Health Resources and Services Administration, nearly 87 million Americans live in areas Federally designated as lacking enough medical professionals to address the community’s healthcare needs. Physician demand could exceed supply by up to 86,000 in the next decade, and clinical laboratory science programs
are educating less than half the number of clinical laboratory professionals needed. These shortages cannot be filled by the domestic workforce alone, and projections will worsen if healthcare employers cannot continue to recruit and retain international healthcare workers.

A few weeks ago, 100 bipartisan representatives and senators urged the Department of Homeland Security to provide a healthcare exemption to the $100,000 fee for employers who petition for new H-1B visas. The ACR supports this effort as many hospitals already struggle to hire enough radiologists and other healthcare providers. The College asserts that the country relies on international physicians and a strong healthcare workforce is needed to care for an aging population.

Issues like this commonly arise that require radiologist advocacy. If you plan on attending the ACR Annual Meeting in May, or in the future, please consider linking up with other FRS attendees and councilors for Capitol Hill Day. Typically occurring on the final day (Wednesday) of the conference week, Hill Day provides an excellent opportunity for the radiology community to educate lawmakers on issues of concern to our profession. We hope to see you there!
Santo Maimone, MD, FSBI
Secretary, Florida Radiological Society
 
FRS President's Message
AndrewBowman
Hello everyone!

This past month three of our residents from across the state and I joined Alison Dudley for the annual FRS visit to Tallahassee. It was a whirlwind couple of days meeting literally dozens of our state legislators, speaking on a host of topics including scope of practice, supplemental screening for mammography, AI in healthcare, workforce shortages, and tort reform. It gave me a newfound appreciation for all the hard work Alison puts in at the capital to ensure our voices are heard. I would like to personally thank Alison and
Dr. and Mrs. Charlie Williams for being such gracious hosts, as well as our three residents, Drs. Noelani Gonzales, Max Mayr, and John Machado, for their time and enthusiasm!

ACR Annual Meeting season will be soon upon us. First up will be the virtual meeting for the ACR Practice Parameters and Technical Standards, to be held April 7 and 9. Registration for these virtual sessions is now open, with a registration deadline of March 30. More information, including the link for registration, may be found here:


Next up after that will be the 2026 ACR Annual Meeting to be held in Washington, DC, May 2-6. Hotel and registration deadlines for the Annual Meeting are both due by April 2. You may find more information, also including the link for registration, here:


Thank you for all you do for our patients and our profession!
Andrew Bowman, M.D., Ph.D.
President, Florida Radiological Society
FRBMA President's Message
JaneneMarkuske
Are You Getting Paid Correctly for New CPT Codes? Why Radiology Managers Must Take a Closer Look

The introduction of new CPT codes, such as CPT 70471 (CTA head and neck), has created a challenge for radiology practices: inconsistent or incorrect payer reimbursement. While new codes are intended to simplify reporting and better reflect clinical work, they can create significant contract and payment ambiguity if your managed care agreements don’t explicitly address how new codes should be reimbursed.
Across radiology groups nationwide, one trend is clear: payers often default to whatever internal logic they choose and that may not align with the contract you signed or the payment you deserve.

Why This Is Happening

Many insurance contracts reference a specific year of the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) as the basis for reimbursement. But when a CPT code did not exist during that year (e.g. CPT 70471 not existing before 2026), payers are often left without a defined rate. Some respond by inserting their own value; others apply inconsistent values from claim to claim.

Two typical methods for determining allowed amounts:
  • A contract tied to the 2020 MPFS may leave payers guessing on new codes, resulting in erratic, unpredictable payments.
  • A contract that pays “new codes at 100% of prevailing Medicare” may drastically underpay for procedures that would otherwise be paid at a higher negotiated multiplier, effectively bypassing the spirit of your agreement.
These discrepancies can quietly erode reimbursement, sometimes significantly, unless identified and corrected early.

What Radiology Managers Need To Do Now

1. Review Audit Contracts for New Code Language:
  • A specific MPFS reference year
  • Clear definitions for how new CPT codes are valued
  • Whether multipliers apply to new codes the same way they do to existing ones
  • Any “default” or “gap fill” provisions
If the contract is silent or ambiguous, that’s a red flag.

2. Compare Allowed Amounts to Contractual Expectations

If payments vary from claim to claim—or if rates are lower than comparable codes—your group is likely underpaid. Many payers automatically assign values without contractual authority, hoping practices won’t notice.

3. Request a Contractual Re Rate or Amendment

Approach the payer with:
  • Your contract language
  • MPFS references
  • Data showing incorrect or inconsistent payments
  • Your proposed corrected rates
Most payers will correct the issue once confronted with clear evidence.

4. Watch Future CPT Changes Proactively

Every year brings:
  • New codes
  • Revised descriptors
  • Bundled codes
  • Deleted codes
Build “new code payment review” into your annual RCM workflow to avoid surprises.

Why This Matters

New CPT codes often represent higher value, more accurate descriptors of radiology work. If your contract undervalues these codes, your practice loses revenue not because of clinical volume changes, but because of contractual gaps and payer interpretation.

By monitoring payment behavior early and insisting on fair contract application, you protect your practice’s financial health and ensure radiologists are compensated appropriately for the services they provide.
Janene W. Markuske, MBA, FRBMA
President, FRBMA
Legislative Update
AlisonDudley
As I write, we are headed into week eight of our nine week session. No agreement has been reached between leadership on allocations (final proposed budget amount) so no budget conferences yet. The budget has to be on member's desks by March 10th to get out of session on time. Session is scheduled to end March 13th.
The House has proposed a property tax relief bill for the ballot. To date, the Senate and the Governor have both not released any proposed language.

It is looking like overtime and special sessions to me. Just what the members do not want during an election year. They cannot fundraise while in session.

It has been another crazy session.
Alison Dudley Lobbyist, FRS
 
Niki Nour DO, MPH
FRS RFS Vice President
 
 
 
FRSFoundation
The FRS Educational Foundation just launched a fundraising campaign to match the generous donations of Dr. Kurt Mori and Dr. Emile Latour.
HELP US
SHAPE THE
FUTURE
FRS EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION
Shaping the future for Diagnostic Radiologists,
Interventional Radiologists, Radiation
Oncologists, and Medical Physicists
FRS Educational Foundation
Triple your Impact
Fundraising Campaign
FRSEducationalFoundationTitles
An extraordinary opportunity
for the future of our foundation

Dr. Kurt Mori and Dr. Emile Latour have
EACH pledged $50,000 in matching
donations to the FRS Foundation.

That means that every $1 you contribute
becomes $3 for the FRS Foundation!
 
How to Contribute:

QCD checks from IRAs can be sent directly to (include FRS Educational Foundation, Inc. in memo):
FRS Educational Foundation, Inc.
5620 West Sligh Ave.
Tampa, FL 33634

For pre-retirement donations,
you may also donate by check
with no transaction fees.
 
 
 
 
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 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@edusymp.com or contact Alison Dudley at alisondudley@dudleyandassociates.com for more information.
 
MarchMap
Telephone (813) 806-1070
Fax (813) 806-1071

5620 W. Sligh Avenue
Tampa, Florida 33634
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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