Frequently Asked Questions About Medical Diagnostic Imaging
Open allWhat information do I need to provide when scheduling an appointment?
You will need to provide your full name and date of birth, type of test and insurance information. Please also have your prescription or physician order available when calling.
How do I prepare for my examination?
Should I arrive early for my appointment?
Yes. You should arrive 30 minutes before the scheduled appointment time, unless otherwise directed. This is to allow for registration before the examination.
What do I need to bring?
Bring the prescription for your examination or the physician order. Also bring your insurance card and a photo ID. If you have any films from another facility pertaining to the area to be examined, please bring them as well.
How long does the examination take?
This depends on the type of test and can range from five minutes to three hours. The radiology scheduler will provide you with an expected timeframe.
How much is this test going to cost?
The cost to you will depend on the specific test and your insurance plan, i.e. if you have a co-pay or a yearly deductible. If you have a yearly deductible, have you met that yet? Contact your Benefits or Customer Service representative for what tests you insurance covers and what your portion of the cost might be. If you want to know how much the charge for a diagnostic imaging test is, you can call Patient Accounting at 503-681-1000.
What is a Pre-Authorization number and why do I need one?
All CT, MRI, PET scans, and some nuclear medicine (mostly heart studies) need to be authorized. This is a process that most insurance companies require the ordering provider to do. The provider needs to submit information about what test they want you to have and why (what your symptoms and/or history are). If the provider does not get the pre-authorization or the insurance company denies it, the insurance company will not pay for your test. That means that you would be responsible for the bill.
How long is the order for a diagnostic imaging test good for?
An order is good for 60 days. After that, a new order will need to be written by your doctor.
When do I get my results?
Your results should be available within the next 1-3 business days unless your provider has determined your study is urgent. Your results will come from your provider’s office. Please call your provider’s office for your results and questions about your report. Your provider receives a report, not your images, unless he/she specifically requests the images.
If you are seeing a specialist and your primary care physician ordered your study, either you or your primary care physician must specify that the report be sent to your specialist.
How can I get a copy of my images?
Why did I get two bills for imaging study?
When you have an imaging study done at Tuality Healthcare, you will receive two bills. One is from Tuality Healthcare; this bill is for the acquisition of the images. Their number is: 503-681-1000. The other bill will be from Medical Imaging Group of Hillsboro. This is a group of Radiologists. Radiologists are a specialized group of doctors who are trained to interpret medical images. Their billing company’s phone number is Advocate Billing Services at 1-614-210-1885, ext 1297.
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