When it?s time for an imaging study ? CT scan, MRI, ultrasound ? many patients simply ?go with the flow? in the belief that there are no choices or that all of the choices are essentially the same.
Nothing could be further from the truth!
Lexington Diagnostic Center and Open MRI, located on Harrodsburg Road in Lexington offers patients not only outstanding, personal care but superior quality as well. With full-time board-certified and fellowship-
trained radiologists, experienced, certified technical staff, commitment to the patient and family, and state-of-the-art equipment, Lexington Diagnostic Center is able to deliver a much higher level of care than is available anywhere else.
?Diagnostic imaging is all we do,? said Davonna Saier, Marketing Director for Lexington Diagnostic Center & Open MRI. ?This singular focus allows LDC to schedule patients quickly, conduct tests efficiently, provide outstanding quality and reporting and do it all at a cost significantly less than what patients might pay elsewhere.?
Patients are sometimes concerned that imaging studies performed outside a hospital setting won?t be readily available to their physicians, or can?t be compared to previous studies. ?That is absolutely not a concern,? Saier said. ?Lexington Diagnostic Center provides an advanced Picture Archiving and Communications System (PACS) which allows the referring physician to access our radiologists? reports and imaging studies from their own computers, or even from the surgery suite at the local hospitals,? Saier said.
Further, every patient who has imaging performed at LDC leaves the center that day with a disk containing all of the images captured during the visit. ?They can take the images directly to their doctor for review and, of course, the images are always archived here at the center for future reference if needed.? Patients also have access to all of their study reports from Lexington Diagnostic through a secure internet connection, the Patient Portal.
As for comparing today?s images to those captured months or even years ago, Lexington Diagnostic Center is able to request those images from other medical facilities for comparison purposes ? continuity of care ? without issue. ?We have a courier who runs between all the medical
facilities daily picking up imaging studies and returning them here, to the Center, where our radiologists use them to compare today?s studies with any studies performed previously,? Saier said. ?It is very important we compare our studies to any prior images that have been done before.?
There is no charge to the patient for this service ? and no hassle either. ?All they need to do is tell us where they had the images taken and when, and we?ll take care of the rest,? Saier said.
It?s one advantage of having imaging done at LDC that many patients really appreciate, she added. Another benefit is how convenient and easy it is to have testing done at Lexington Diagnostic. With evening and Saturday hours, patients never have to wait weeks to have a test scheduled. And when you arrive at the center for testing, you can feel confident that your test will be performed and you?ll be on your way quickly. There are no long waits caused by numerous emergency cases bumping the schedule. Results are reported to the referring physician quickly, typically in less than 72 business hours, Saier noted.
One of the most important considerations for patients receiving care anywhere is cost. Patients at Lexington Diagnostic Center have peace of mind knowing exactly how much their imaging study will cost, and what their out-of-pocket costs will be. Most patients will save hundreds of dollars by choosing to have their MRIs, CTs and other radiology tests performed at LDC instead of the local hospital.
?That?s because hospitals have to cover all of that overhead ? the cafeteria, laundry, parking garages ? it?s all rolled up into every patient?s bill. At Lexington Diagnostic Center, imaging is the only thing we do. We keep our overhead costs low and that keeps our prices low, too. And the Radiologist fee is included, so you won?t receive an extra bill from the physician.?
Taking advantage of the Lexington Diagnostic Center difference is quite easy. All you have to do is speak up when your doctor orders an imaging procedure for you. ?Most patients don?t realize they have the right to decide where they?ll go for a test or procedure,? Saier said. When patients fail to express a preference, the doctor?s office will schedule the procedure where it is most convenient for them ? usually the hospital.
Sometimes patients feel uncomfortable telling physician they need find a less expensive alternative to the hospital, Saier noted. That?s natural. But, she added, ?Your doctor should be just as concerned about your financial health as he or she is about your physical health.?
Cost transparency is an important part of the Lexington Diagnostic Center patient care philosophy. ?It?s important for patients to know not only how much a test will cost, but what they will be responsible for in terms of co-pays, deductibles or co-insurance,? Saier said. LDC works with the patient?s insurer to determine the out-of-pocket costs before testing is performed. Patients are informed up front of the total cost, usually at least 48 hours before their appointment. Payment is collected on the day of their imaging appointment.
?This means patients never have to worry about getting a bill they didn?t expect 30 or 60 days later,? Saier said. And, unlike hospitals, Lexington Diagnostic?s bill includes the radiologist?s professional fees. ?There will ever only be one, all-inclusive bill from us,? Saier said. ?You?ll never receive a bill in the mail later with a fee you didn?t know about.?
LDC accepts most all insurance plans, including Medicare and Medicaid. ?We?ve actually had them conference in on the phone with patients to reschedule them from a higher-priced facility to us. We save money for insurance companies and for patients. That?s why it?s so important to shop for healthcare costs. Always call and compare prices,? Saier added.