If your doctor or physician refers you to a diagnostics clinic for an MRI, you must take your time and research the closest facilities near you. The reason for doing this is because the cost of an MRI varies from one diagnostic center to another. Further, individuals with forty percent high-deductible patient insurance are not covered for MRI bills until they reach $6,000 to $18,000 deductible, meaning most patients pay out of pocket or in cash for an MRI.
When seeking MRI scans and other diagnostic services, you don’t need to delay the diagnostics because your insurance cannot cover these costs. If you are paying out of pocket or don’t have insurance coverage, facilities are available with flexible payment plans to take the pressure off your back. However, the main question on your mind is how much will it cost for an MRI in the closest diagnostic facility? A single MRI costs as low as $225 when paying in cash.
What is an MRI Scan?
If your doctor has referred you to an MRI for the first time, the first question that will come to your mind is, what is this procedure, and is it safe? To answer these questions, you must understand the steps involved in the process for better preparations.
MRI in full refers to Magnetic Resonance Imaging, a process where pictures of the abnormal internal body parts are captured and displayed to show these abnormalities. What the machine does is that it uses two functional magnets whose role is to align the body's hydrogen atoms in a north or south direction. When these molecules face one order, the device highlights internal body parts, showing abnormalities.
Remember, the most significant part of your body is made up of water, making an MRI possible. Besides, the process is non-invasive and painless, so you need to be afraid of anesthesia or pain medication. However, in particular circumstances, your doctor might request a dye to be administered into the veins. The purpose of the dye is to highlight the abnormalities in the internal organs better for correct diagnosis.
The dye is injected to circulate through the bloodstream before the MRI is conducted. Therefore, you will experience slight pain when the needle supplying the dye is injected. For individuals with anxiety, you should mention to the radiologist or technician administering the procedure to be tender and apply various relaxation techniques to remain calm when receiving the injection.
Further, when the contrast dye is introduced into the body, it can trigger different sensations. You might notice a relaxed sense spread through the veins or a strange feeling on the groin, making you feel like you have urinated. You will notice the feeling temporarily, so don’t panic because they will go away after a short time without causing any complications.
For some patients, however, you might experience headaches or nausea. This is supposed to last for a short while as the dye is excreted from the body through urinating. Therefore, hydrate after the scan for the contrast dye to be excreted through the renal process.
Diagnostic Options in an MRI
Sometimes, a single scan might not reveal the underlying health condition, and this might be disappointing. Luckily, there is an assemblage of diagnostic services that can be used to identify the abnormalities in your internal body parts through a scan. These options include:
1. Medical Conditions
If your doctor notices signs of a cardiac condition during a routine checkup, they might recommend an MRI process for diagnostics. Some of the reasons for a possible cardiac abnormality include:
- Blocked arteries
- Blood clots
- High blood pressure causing a severe condition in the valves and heart chamber
When a doctor observes any abnormalities, they will recommend an MRI procedure to diagnose the problem. Irrespective of your condition, a scan helps identify the problem on time, and it could be the distinction between a fatality and complete recovery. For this reason, whenever your doctor refers you for the procedure, you should act fast.
2. Spinal Cord Injuries
Your backbone plays a crucial role in your body because it holds the delicate nerve endings for tensile transmission to the brain and is the primary source of help for your upward posture. A problem with the backbone can cause temporary or permanent paralysis, making it necessary to have an MRI procedure to diagnose the injured part on time. The images from the scan can be used for diagnosis, thus helping doctors prevent lengthy effects that may stem from the injury not being addressed on time.
3. Brain Injury and Brain Cell Degeneration
When your doctor concludes you have a brain injury, they will likely refer you to a diagnostic facility for a scan. Depending on the facility you chose to take the procedure, you will undertake an fMRI, a distinct scanning procedure that checks how the brain tissues function under varying conditions.
The scan provides quality images of the brain, which enable the creation of comprehensive reports on the functionality and health state of the brain and the different abnormalities that might be triggering the usefulness.
For patients dealing with mental illnesses like anxiety or depression, those involved in car accidents, or have had brain surgery, receiving an fMRI will enable your doctor to give an erection on the treatment that will remedy the situation.
4. Joint Abnormalities
Joint injuries sustained from sports or accidents can cause a lot of pain, especially if the joint tendons rapture. Even when the pain you are experiencing is apparent, the doctor must first establish and highlight the ruptured tendons before recommending a particular treatment. The report from the scan is what will direct if surgery is necessary.
Furthermore, suppose your joints have an inadequate synovial fluid supply that affects oiling when moving. In that case, the doctor can recommend an MRI to establish if treatment is necessary to replenish the inadequate fluid for sufficient lubrication.
5. Reproductive Health Scans
Both men and women are suffering from reproductive conditions caused by various health abnormalities. For women, the most common reproductive conditions are endometriosis and ovarian cysts, which have severe long-term effects and tremendous pain. Luckily, if these conditions are diagnosed in the early stages, they are manageable, and you can fully recover.
When you visit your gynecologist for a routine checkup, they might recommend several scans to see if you have a blood clot or ovarian cyst on the uterus to determine if you have a medical condition. The clear pictures from the MRI scan have sufficient information to guide on the most suitable treatment for the problem.
Men’s common reproductive condition affects the prostate glands and might not be detected during a routine checkup. Because of this, your doctor might recommend an MRI to obtain a report on what could be causing the abnormalities you are experiencing and suggest the appropriate treatment.
Benefits of Undertaking an MRI Procedure
Los Angeles is flooded with various scanning options that help with diagnoses like the x-ray and CT-scan. However, these options are not equal because the quality of images and the type of internal parts being captured varies. If you have an issue with your inner skeletal or a part of your tissue, a CT scan or x-ray can make the best diagnosis, but an MRI is the right option if you want to detect abnormalities in the tissue or blood vessels. Some of the benefits you can derive from undertaking an MRI are:
They Offer High-Quality Pictures
The ability of the two magnets in an MRI to align hydrogen molecules highlights the part or organ the radiologist wants to examine, thus producing quality pictures. The doctor relies on these pictures to make a diagnosis and suggest a suitable remedy.
Additionally, the application of the contrast dye provides even more precise and detailed pictures of the target area or organ. For instance, an MRI can identify and highlight a tiny blood clot if you have a lung problem, an organ whose volume and structure are complex.
Your liver and kidney are other internal body organs that require high-quality pictures to make a correct diagnosis and determine the extent of the harm caused.
They Enable Early Diagnosis
Suppose your doctor refers you to a diagnostic facility, and you act fast to undertake the procedure. In that case, the scan results will be out quickly, making an early diagnosis necessary for managing a health condition and enabling full recovery. Further, it helps detect conditions whose symptoms you didn’t experience, and the abnormality could have gone undetected. Besides, the images can help your doctor detect possible conditions that might arise in the future and recommend treatment to control the problem before it even starts or causes a subsequent condition.
Other benefits of undertaking MRI scans include:
- The scanning happens from different angles or positions
- You are safe from radiation exposure
- The scans show various tissue functions
- The scans show advanced pictures during cancer screening
How do you Cut Costs on MRI Scans Near You?
In case you are not sure where to start, you should begin by understanding various ways you can save money in this procedure. Some of the ways you can reduce expenses in this procedure include:
1. Pay with a Credit Card or in Cash
Paying in cash allows you to negotiate with the diagnostic center you visited for the MRI procedure. Therefore, visit a standalone clinic because these facilities have flexible billing options. Allowing you to pay in cash or with a credit card eliminates all the hassle involved in dealing with insurance companies. These facilities offer up to 80% discounts because if you are paying cash, you can part with as little as $225 for the scan.
2. Visit and Outpatient Facility
Visiting an outpatient facility will save you more money for an MRI procedure than a hospital. Remember, if you go to a hospital, they will refer you to one of their facilities for diagnostics, making them reluctant to offer discounts. Research hospitals like Stanford are some of the most expensive facilities for MRI scans because they can charge as high as $23,749 for a single scan.
If your insurance company denies you coverage for an MRI procedure, don’t even panic because you can undergo the same procedure at a lower cost without copay with your policy carrier. By choosing to go the cash way, you avoid the hassle of waiting for up to four weeks for an approved appointment from your insurer. With cash, you can receive the scan the following day, thus saving you time and money.
Most Affordable Cities for an MRI Near Me
Some of the most affordable cities when it comes to MRI procedures are:
- Los Angeles city whose cash payment for a scan ranges from $225 to $360
- Chicago, whose cash payment for MRI is between $350 to $500
- Washington D.C, whose MRI scan price is $451 or above
The pricing of an MRI process is mainly tied to the demand and supply of the services in the market. If there are more diagnostic facilities in a city, the higher the competition forcing many centers to lower their prices to appeal to customers. Where there are more imaging centers and multiple patients, then the prices of MRI scans tend to be more pocket-friendly than places where there is low competition because of fewer facilities. Some of the cities whose rates for MRI scans are incredibly high include:
- Raleigh, NC, whose rates are at $1,285 per scan
- New York, NY, whose rates per scan are $1,200
- Boston, MA: $1,077
- Richmond, VA, whose price is at $986
Of all the locations near you, Los Angeles has the most affordable rates, with the average cost per scan when paying out of pocket being $225. It is then followed by San Diego, San Francisco, and central valley, whose rates in California are also reasonable.
The location and facility you pick for a scan determine what you will be paying for the procedure, making it crucial to understand how to pick the MRI scan near you.
Pointers for Selecting the Best Price for an MRI
MRI scans are critical in detecting a range of health issues. Your health professional might refer you to a facility for this imaging to diagnose some conditions involving your internal body parts. When a physician recommends an MRI, you shouldn’t take the issue lightly. Instead, you should act quickly and undertake the scan. Unfortunately, the cost of the procedure is expensive, and this can be discouraging. Below are some of the tips to help you save on an MRI in California:
Shop Around for Prices from Various Diagnostic Facilities
The rates charged for a scan differ from one facility to another. Most probably, the first diagnostic center you visit might not have the best rates in the market. Therefore, avoid picking the first center that you come across. Instead, shop around for rates in the market and demand detailed price quotations from all the facilities you visit. Evaluate these quotes and pick the facility near you that offers uncompromised MRI scan services at reasonable prices.
When checking these quotes, ensure that there are no hidden costs and that the quotation provides all the details, including the cost of the radiologist reading. Call at least six facilities and request these quotes to make an informed decision.
Request for Discounts
If you are paying in cash, remember to ask for a discount. Some facilities will quote slightly higher rates, although they are willing to offer discounts up to a minimum cash price of $225. Therefore, you must pick a diagnostic center that provides discounts to save money.
Take your Referral to Another Facility
When your physician recommends a particular facility for the MRI scan, it doesn’t mean you must visit the facility. Some hospitals might refer you to one of their affiliate diagnostic centers whose MRI prices are exceptionally expensive.
Advantages of Paying for an MRI Procedure in Cash
As mentioned earlier, the average cost for an MRI when paying in cash is $225. By paying cash, you qualify for discounts of as much as 30% based on the available offers and the kinds of scans you need. Because with cash payment, there is an upfront payment, clients paying in cash tend to attract higher discounts.
Similarly, when you pay in cash, you avoid all the hurdles involved in dealing with insurance companies, mainly on payment authorization. The authorization process by insurers is a lengthy one because they will want to know why the treatment and if it’s necessary for your health. These hectic processes can delay your MRI scan preventing early diagnosis. However, when you pay out of pocket, you save a lot of time because you can receive that scan immediately after paying.
Find a Cost Friendly Diagnostic Clinic Near Me
With the current economic times, it’s critical to evaluate all the MRI prices near you to make the right decision. As you do this, you need to ensure the affordable rates don’t compromise the MRI quality. At Los Angeles Diagnostics, we work hard to ensure you obtain the best MRI scan for accurate diagnostics. If you have inquiries about the procedure and how much we charge, call us at 323-486-7502 for a free consultation.
