Patients sent about the same number of emails to clinicians after UC San Francisco’s health system, UCSF Health, began charging for certain types of messages, a new study found.
 
In line with many of the nation’s major hospital systems, UCSF Health began charging in November 2021 for messaging that constitutes a “virtual visit.” The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and private payers expanded billing options for these visits in 2020 if the visit involved medical decision making and at least five minutes of clinician time over seven days.  
 

Radiation from X-rays is an occupational hazard for many medical specialists, including cardiologists, vascular and orthopedic surgeons, urologists, some radiologists and gastroenterologists. Especially during the first trimester of pregnancy, radiation exposure for these providers can pose a threat to the fetus.