Journal of the American College of Radiology : JACR
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Self-referral in diagnostic imaging has adverse consequences for our health care system. It inevitably leads to overutilization. If untrained physicians try to interpret images, they will make avoidable errors. ⋯ These statements are backed up by abundant evidence in the medical literature. Major payers such as Medicare and the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association are aware of the problem. There are a number of possible remedies, and it remains to be seen whether they and other payers will adopt them.