Are you dealing with chronic pain or other ongoing health issues but worry about the costs involved in diagnosis and treatment? You’re not alone. Many people wait to see a doctor because of the possible expenses. If your doctor orders medical imaging to help determine the cause of your pain, you don’t have to worry about breaking the bank to get the scans you need. Outpatient imaging centers make imaging convenient, affordable and readily available.
Cost-effective diagnostic imaging
People often assume diagnostic imaging, such as an MRI or CT scan, costs thousands of dollars. While that’s sometimes true, where you get your imaging done makes a significant difference in the overall cost. The cost difference has many reasons, but typically, you can find more affordable and convenient options at independent imaging centers than at hospitals. This cost difference is primarily due to hospitals being granted a different billing designation. The different designation allows them to charge significantly higher pricing than an independent imaging center for the same service.
Touchstone Medical Imaging offers cost-effective outpatient imaging services using leading-edge technology. In fact, our scans typically cost up to 60% less than hospital imaging. What’s more, 99% of insurance plans cover our imaging services.
Affordable imaging and billing transparency
At Touchstone Medical Imaging, you’ll receive one bill clearly showing charges in a way you can understand. Many hospitals charge multiple fees for a single imaging scan, including an additional radiologist’s fee and/or a facility fee on top of the price of the scan. Touchstone Medical Imaging has committed to billing transparency, so you’ll know exactly what you owe in advance.
Touchstone Medical Imaging offers outpatient CT and MRI imaging at multiple centers, with same-day, evening and weekend appointments often available. After getting an order from your doctor, make an appointment at the Touchstone Medical Imaging center most convenient for you.
Costs of avoiding treatment
When doctors recommend imaging to help make a diagnosis, they have a reason for doing so. While some medical conditions resolve on their own, it’s typically better to treat medical concerns promptly—before they become worse. Let’s break down the costs of putting off treatment for some common conditions:
- Arthritis: In the U.S., pain due to arthritis accounts for $303.5 billion in medical expenses and lost work, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Diagnosis—including appropriate imaging studies—and treatment can help you keep working and stay active. Keeping active, in turn, can prevent other costly health problems down the road.
- Bone loss: A broken hip can incur costs of more than $50,000 for an individual, not including lost work time. By contrast, a bone density scan can help doctors recommend treatment plans which may be as reasonable as lifestyle changes or affordable medication options.
- Cancer: Many screening tests for cancer are partly or fully covered by insurance. Treatment of early-stage disease often yields high survival rates. However, the later the stage of cancer when doctors find it, the higher the healthcare costs you may incur—more than double in the first year after diagnosis of cancer, in many instances.
The bottom line
Being proactive about your health doesn’t have to be expensive or time-consuming. Outpatient centers offer convenient, cost-effective imaging so your doctor can get to the root of your problem and make a treatment plan. By choosing an outpatient imaging center such as Touchstone Medical Imaging, you’re on the way to taking control of your health—and health-related expenses—once and for all.
Affordable imaging is within reach
Receive accurate outpatient imaging in a compassionate environment at Touchstone Medical Imaging. We have multiple appointment options, including evening and weekend hours. After getting an order from your doctor for imaging, contact a nearby Touchstone Medical Imaging center to schedule a scan.