Northeast Radiology is proud to announce full price transparency for all imaging services.
Headlines in the media raise the question “why do different hospitals and independent providers have wildly different charges for the same procedure?” As patients become responsible for more of their healthcare expenses many are left wondering “how much is this test going to cost me?”
With full price transparency, Northeast Radiology can help patients learn what their imaging tests will cost with one quick phone call. Whether it is an X-ray, mammogram, MRI, CT scan, PET scan, nuclear medicine study, bone densitometry (DEXA), or ultrasound, Northeast Radiology believes that patients should know what the test will cost before they schedule it.
Many insurance companies are also making it easier for patients to learn what their out of pocket costs will be. Insurance companies like Anthem and Aetna are making the prices of lab tests, radiology testing, and other procedures available on their website. Patients log in to their accounts, select the procedure they need, and are able to compare prices in their community.
As patients become educated consumers of healthcare services, what they learn is often shocking. The price for the same test, such as an MRI scan or a mammogram, may vary by hundreds or even thousands of dollars in their community. Even patients with insurance may find that their out of pocket costs vary by over 100% depending on the facility they choose.
In medicine, the old adage of “you get what you pay for” is simply not true. Often times, the highest quality provider may offer the lowest prices. The fact is that prices are set and negotiated without regard to quality. The biggest medical centers or medical groups simply have more clout and can negotiate higher fees. Northeast Radiology maintains the strictest quality controls. Their facilities are all FDA and ACR accredited and are also ACR Breast Imaging Centers of Excellence. The doctors at Northeast Radiology are all fellowship trained and Board Certified by the American Board of Radiology. Northeast Radiology’s technologists have advanced certifications.
Providers like Northeast Radiology are benefitting from the increased price-awareness of consumers. “Northeast Radiology has always offered clinical excellence at a fair price. The only difference is that there is now a new level of price transparency, and patients are able to compare costs” says Northeast Radiology President, Dr. Howard Lee. “It used to be that a
doctor told a patient where to get their imaging test. Patients rarely questioned their doctors about it. But now that patients are able to compare for themselves, we hear all the time from our patients ‘I told my doctor that I wanted to go to Northeast Radiology.'”
Dr. Lee believes that prices are just one factor that brings patients to Northeast Radiology. “It’s not just about price. You may buy one brand over another at the supermarket based on price, but people do not think that way about healthcare. Patients want the best care, with excellent doctors and staff. They want to go to a practice that has an established reputation in the community. When they need a test, they want to be able to speak to the doctor reading it. They want to park right in front of the office, get their test done quickly, and leave with the results. That is the Northeast Radiology advantage. Quality, compassion and convenience matter, not just the price.”
Patients with insurance are not the only patients benefitting from full price transparency. According to Dr. Lee, “Patients without insurance call us all the time asking what it will cost to have their
study. They tell us that when they call hospitals and medical groups, they cannot get a price. When they call us, they know exactly what the procedure will cost, and there is no guesswork.”