Health affairs
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When a physician who isn't a radiologist holds an ownership interest in an advanced imaging machine and refers patients for diagnostic procedures on that machine, this act of self-referral presents a conflict of interest. Numerous studies demonstrate greater use of high-tech imaging when physicians can financially benefit from such referrals. ⋯ However, the rewards for imaging self-referral remain strong. Policy makers continue to search for the right mechanisms for containing the practice and for assuring that Medicare beneficiaries receive only medically necessary imaging studies, regardless of who owns or operates the equipment.