|
|
| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
agate
Site Admin
Joined: 17 May 2006
Posts: 5694
Location: Oregon
|
 Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2012 12:00 am Post subject: How much does an MRI cost? It varies widely (US) |
 |
|
From the Clear Health Costs blog, November 13, 2012:
| Quote: |
How much does an MRI cost?
Posted by Elizabeth Celms on November 13, 2012
The short answer: It can cost $295, or upwards of $3,000. It depends on the body part, and on where you go, and on other factors. There may also be additional fees: read about them below.
.......
What should you ask ahead of time? What types of MRI are there?
Although MRIs are incredibly helpful and often necessary for ruling out differentials and confirming a diagnosis, they are also one of several frequently overused medical tests, as cited by the American Board of Internal Medicine Foundation’s Choosing Wisely campaign.
This is why it is valuable to ask your doctor whether an MRI is necessary to confirm your diagnosis, what other testing options there may be, and what kind of MRI you will be having. Yes, there are different types of MRIs:
The most common is referred to as a regular MRI. Sometimes there’s a need for an MRI with contrast (often using a substance called gadolinium), which is commonly used to view the body in more detail. There is also an MR angiogram (designed to see blood vessels).
An open MRI means you will not be placed in a tunnel or tube. It is open on all 4 sides, allowing you to see around you. The spacious opening is designed for those patients who suffer from claustrophobia or anxiety.
(Doctors and patients will tell you that some of the best tricks to surviving an MRI are to ask for earplugs — it’s very loud — and to keep your eyes closed the entire time).
Source: American College of Radiology Imaging Network (ACRIN)
Note: We do not offer medical advice. This advice about billing is general at best; in every case you should check with a provider. See our terms of service.
What additional MRI fees are there?
There may also be a “reading fee” that comes with an MRI. What you are paying for is the physician or radiologist’s interpretation of the MRI, which can range from $100 to $500. Some doctors own their own MRI equipment and review scans with their patients at no additional cost. But if you’ve had your test conducted at a hospital or outpatient radiology facility it may be read by a radiologist, which often means there will be a fee. Some facilities, however, do not charge extra for a reading.
Ask in advance if there are additional charges.
How are the results of an MRI delivered or kept?
Once a radiologist has analyzed and interpreted the results of your MRI scan, they send the report to your doctor, often free of charge. This usually takes a day or two, though sometimes it can be read immediately in a computer. If you would like to obtain a copy of your MRI, the medical facility is obligated to provide one to you by federal law. Usually, they will send a DVD copy (although sometimes you are required to pick the copy up yourself), which may cost $20 to $30. If you would prefer a film copy, the pricing may be different. Morningside Radiology in Manhattan, for example, charges $15 for the first film sheet and $5 for each additional sheet.
To sum up, how much does an MRI cost?
Well, it depends. An MRI of the spine can cost $295, or upwards of $3,000. We have even heard $8,000, but that was for an MRI of the brain.
Different facilities (hospital, radiology center, doctor’s office) charge vastly different prices for MRIs. For example, the cash price of a lumbar spine MRI at a hospital in California can reach more than $3,000, while the cash price of the same test at an independent radiology facility can be as low as $400. (For our sampling of cash or self-pay prices of lumbar spine MRIs in the San Francisco area, go here. For our sampling of cash or self-pay prices in the New York area, go here. You can also use our search tool for Medicare prices to find what the government pays.)
There are also private radiology facilities that offer exceptionally low costs, such as $295 at RPN of California, a low-cost MRI services network with headquarters in Ontario, Calif. Read more about RPN on our blog.
Some providers post prices online. At Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in New Hampshire and Vermont, the price for a spine MRI is listed at $3,693.
At QuakerBridge Radiology in New Jersey, the self-pay price is $465. At Denville Diagnostics in Denville, N.J., the self-pay price for an MRI without contrast is $475.
Martha Bebinger, a reporter at WBUR radio in Boston, talks about the cost of an MRI in a radio interview here. (She was charged nearly $8,000 for a brain MRI, but the insurance company paid $1,650 – this is the negotiated price, so called because it’s negotiated by the provider and the insurance company.)
So, how much? It depends. Always ask.
|
|
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
|
|
You can post new topics in this forum
You can reply to topics in this forum
You can edit your posts in this forum
You can delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
|
|
