Aa
Where to go for MRI
I'm guessing half of y'all have tips on finding the best available imaging location. I want the best quality pix, software, radiologists, etc., and my wife is worried because we're still making payments on my last MRI. Did I mention I'm in north central Ohio? Who can help?
Not sure if I ever said anything once I got going on this. Chose the nearby facility that worked well with insurance, at least as far as up-front info. Bills haven't all arrived yet, I am sure. Techs on the phone seemed to really know their stuff.
Had a 1.5T closed MRI of brain with and without gad. Pix look like, basically, better pix of the same stuff. Radiologist's report said, more or less, the same thing.
One prominent lesion he guessed was about 5mm (it's kind of oval-ish) that has been visible in 4 MRIs, dating back to January 2009. That's in the temporal lobe, above my right ear, kinda, but maybe halfway from the ear to the center of my brain.
Assorted little punctate white spots scattered elsewhere, non-specific. This particular radiologist seemed focused on the lack of change from the prior studies, almost like he was saying there's no point in doing any more.
Symptoms continue, though, so something has to happen. Balance and vision are primary, but lots of buzzing, itching, twitching, tremor's back after a hiatus, etc., etc.
Neuro is booked solid; I am scheduled to see him in the further-away of his two offices on the 20th of December, if neither office squeezes me in on a cancellation first. (Ya think they book up so far in advance so they can charge more? Are they really that much in demand?)
Peace & blessings to all, & may God richly bless all of our veterans.
Had a 1.5T closed MRI of brain with and without gad. Pix look like, basically, better pix of the same stuff. Radiologist's report said, more or less, the same thing.
One prominent lesion he guessed was about 5mm (it's kind of oval-ish) that has been visible in 4 MRIs, dating back to January 2009. That's in the temporal lobe, above my right ear, kinda, but maybe halfway from the ear to the center of my brain.
Assorted little punctate white spots scattered elsewhere, non-specific. This particular radiologist seemed focused on the lack of change from the prior studies, almost like he was saying there's no point in doing any more.
Symptoms continue, though, so something has to happen. Balance and vision are primary, but lots of buzzing, itching, twitching, tremor's back after a hiatus, etc., etc.
Neuro is booked solid; I am scheduled to see him in the further-away of his two offices on the 20th of December, if neither office squeezes me in on a cancellation first. (Ya think they book up so far in advance so they can charge more? Are they really that much in demand?)
Peace & blessings to all, & may God richly bless all of our veterans.
Just had to say... loved the story. Thanks for sharing it. Part two had me cracking up... thanks for that as well. :)
PastorDan, I hope you find a good facility and at a decent price.
Laura
PastorDan, I hope you find a good facility and at a decent price.
Laura
Hey, everybody; super tips! Thanx!
I had a very brief flare in December; a call to the neuro's office brought out that I was overdue for follow-up. Did MRI at a small-town hospital, and was unimpressed. Same stuff on pix, though their radiologist noted some unique features about that space between my ears that others had left unmentioned. Nothing to explain anything, though!
I had a very brief flare in December; a call to the neuro's office brought out that I was overdue for follow-up. Did MRI at a small-town hospital, and was unimpressed. Same stuff on pix, though their radiologist noted some unique features about that space between my ears that others had left unmentioned. Nothing to explain anything, though!
The best place is usually one that your insurance likes as much as you do. It can take some real sleuthing to find out how much is covered at different locations and then estimate the personal cost as best you can.
After a long process I ended up having my last MRI with OSU Imaging at Gahanna (near Columbus). The story isn’t overly interesting but it might offer information a few of our newer members can use. So I’ll indulge myself in a little story telling - if you don’t mind. If you prefer, just scan or skip on down to the end. I’ll be sure to leave you with good thoughts for a successful search.
When I was on this particular quest I made phone calls and searched the web for several weeks. It was back and forth talking to irritable people who didn't know (or didn't want to know) why I cared so much. I looked for a place based on the likelihood true MS protocol would be followed using a 3T strength magnet to produce the highest possible quality images. Even though my MSologist studies the images himself I wanted a quality radiologist to write a thorough opinion as well..... all at a reasonable cost to me of course.
As I looked for an imaging location I had in mind that my intention was to make this a one time charge. This was to be the last imaging I would agree to for the purpose of screening for MS progression. My most recent MRIs had been stable and there didn’t seem to be much point anymore. I wanted one last (great) MRI because my symptoms had not been as stable as the images suggested I could expect. I wanted the best shot I could get to visualize the cord damage that symptoms insist exists (even though doc believes signs and symptoms speak clearly).
On to the search. Like you, I put feelers out in this community. I got some good responses and some unexpected surprises. For instances, it seems Cleveland Clinic has a 3T machine (more than one even) but they’re used only in clinical research work. They have the Mellon Clinic (an entire building of the main CCF complex I believe) devoted to treating PwMS but a PwMS can’t go up there and get an MRI on a 3T imager. Who would have imagined that? (I did read recently that they are installing a new 3T up there so check them out if that's close enough for you.)
Here’s a link to the discussion a group of us had during my search. http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Multiple-Sclerosis/Searching-for-a-3T-magnet-strength-MRI-in-northeast-OH/show/1328877
You were part of it Pastor Dan. Don’t know if you remember the geography lessons you gave ;) but I thought you might be interested in taking another look since you are searching for yourself this time around.
As much help as I got on the forum, there was still plenty of work to do. You have to call places and ask specific questions. Many places these days advertise they have the newest and best technology. Most places in Ohio can't back up their claims with accessible 3T MRI scanners. (More than a little odd I think as we are in one of the MS hot spots of the world.) I quickly learned there were no 3T imagers at the facilities where my insurance pays 100% of the cost.
Once I found a facility on the insurance website with a 3T (130 miles from home) I called their billing department to inquire about the average charge. This is hard info to get before the actual test is ordered because you can't give them the specific coding that indicates how the imaging will be done. They guaranteed NOTHING but I never expected they would. I did manage to get a reasonable idea of what the billed charge would be. Outside of locating a 3T imager this was the hardest part of the process.
Then I contacted my benefits resource person through work and the insurance company rep to review my specific coverage (they’re a major medical insurer administering many different plans). I knew I would be responsible for 10 to 20% of the charge. I found out my personal hit would actually be up to 20% of whatever the facility agreed to accept from my insurance. That was going to make my share a LOT lower. I tripled checked the info to be sure I wouldn’t get some big surprise later!!
That was as far as investigation could take me. Nobody would predict (or reveal) what the contracted price was likely to be for a three body part MRI. Based on past experience under the same insurance I gave it my best guess that insurance would authorize no more than 40% of the billed charge. I figured I could swing 20% of the 40% so asked my MSologist to rewrite the scripts and prepared for a vacation day from work filled with travel and MRI tubing.
For my money I got a 3Tesla MRI of brain, cervical cord and thoracic cord (that's three separate charges even when they are done together). The facility and staff were excellent (but why do techs resent questions so much?). I was given two CDs of the images before I left - one copy for my doc and one for my personal files. The radiologist’s readings were good but definitely better for the brain than the cord. There were more images (slices as we refer to them here) than any of my previous studies had and the quality was great - but (to my surprise) only marginally better than the ones insurance paid 100% to have done (just down the road) the year before. Those had come from a 1.5T strength imager. The machine must be paired with some pretty terrific software!
I’ve never regretted the trouble I went to or the results I ended up getting. It truly was my last chance. As it turns out that imaging likely WAS my last MRI - of any body part, ever. I had a pacemaker implanted in March of this year and it would have to be turned off to send me tubing now. That’s a no-way- José as far as the heart and I are concerned into the foreseeable future. It’s hard enough for us to tolerate the momentary loss of signal when the EP cardio does his routine testing.
There does remain this one thing I NEVER will understand...
Since it’s so easy to complete a pre-purchase
quality and price comparison
when I'm making decisions about something like
which brand of a major appliance I’ll purchase….
WHY (oh why oh why)
does it have to be soooo very hard
to do the same thing
every single time the decision I'm making concerns
which consumer paid health care services I’ll utilize?
Finally, did you mention you’d been doing well for ~30 months now? When was your last MRI then? Seems like that’s some long term good time to still be paying on pics you can’t even carry in your wallet to drag out and brag on :( No wonder the wife is concerned. I do hope this works out for you in just the way you need it to.
After a long process I ended up having my last MRI with OSU Imaging at Gahanna (near Columbus). The story isn’t overly interesting but it might offer information a few of our newer members can use. So I’ll indulge myself in a little story telling - if you don’t mind. If you prefer, just scan or skip on down to the end. I’ll be sure to leave you with good thoughts for a successful search.
When I was on this particular quest I made phone calls and searched the web for several weeks. It was back and forth talking to irritable people who didn't know (or didn't want to know) why I cared so much. I looked for a place based on the likelihood true MS protocol would be followed using a 3T strength magnet to produce the highest possible quality images. Even though my MSologist studies the images himself I wanted a quality radiologist to write a thorough opinion as well..... all at a reasonable cost to me of course.
As I looked for an imaging location I had in mind that my intention was to make this a one time charge. This was to be the last imaging I would agree to for the purpose of screening for MS progression. My most recent MRIs had been stable and there didn’t seem to be much point anymore. I wanted one last (great) MRI because my symptoms had not been as stable as the images suggested I could expect. I wanted the best shot I could get to visualize the cord damage that symptoms insist exists (even though doc believes signs and symptoms speak clearly).
On to the search. Like you, I put feelers out in this community. I got some good responses and some unexpected surprises. For instances, it seems Cleveland Clinic has a 3T machine (more than one even) but they’re used only in clinical research work. They have the Mellon Clinic (an entire building of the main CCF complex I believe) devoted to treating PwMS but a PwMS can’t go up there and get an MRI on a 3T imager. Who would have imagined that? (I did read recently that they are installing a new 3T up there so check them out if that's close enough for you.)
Here’s a link to the discussion a group of us had during my search. http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Multiple-Sclerosis/Searching-for-a-3T-magnet-strength-MRI-in-northeast-OH/show/1328877
You were part of it Pastor Dan. Don’t know if you remember the geography lessons you gave ;) but I thought you might be interested in taking another look since you are searching for yourself this time around.
As much help as I got on the forum, there was still plenty of work to do. You have to call places and ask specific questions. Many places these days advertise they have the newest and best technology. Most places in Ohio can't back up their claims with accessible 3T MRI scanners. (More than a little odd I think as we are in one of the MS hot spots of the world.) I quickly learned there were no 3T imagers at the facilities where my insurance pays 100% of the cost.
Once I found a facility on the insurance website with a 3T (130 miles from home) I called their billing department to inquire about the average charge. This is hard info to get before the actual test is ordered because you can't give them the specific coding that indicates how the imaging will be done. They guaranteed NOTHING but I never expected they would. I did manage to get a reasonable idea of what the billed charge would be. Outside of locating a 3T imager this was the hardest part of the process.
Then I contacted my benefits resource person through work and the insurance company rep to review my specific coverage (they’re a major medical insurer administering many different plans). I knew I would be responsible for 10 to 20% of the charge. I found out my personal hit would actually be up to 20% of whatever the facility agreed to accept from my insurance. That was going to make my share a LOT lower. I tripled checked the info to be sure I wouldn’t get some big surprise later!!
That was as far as investigation could take me. Nobody would predict (or reveal) what the contracted price was likely to be for a three body part MRI. Based on past experience under the same insurance I gave it my best guess that insurance would authorize no more than 40% of the billed charge. I figured I could swing 20% of the 40% so asked my MSologist to rewrite the scripts and prepared for a vacation day from work filled with travel and MRI tubing.
For my money I got a 3Tesla MRI of brain, cervical cord and thoracic cord (that's three separate charges even when they are done together). The facility and staff were excellent (but why do techs resent questions so much?). I was given two CDs of the images before I left - one copy for my doc and one for my personal files. The radiologist’s readings were good but definitely better for the brain than the cord. There were more images (slices as we refer to them here) than any of my previous studies had and the quality was great - but (to my surprise) only marginally better than the ones insurance paid 100% to have done (just down the road) the year before. Those had come from a 1.5T strength imager. The machine must be paired with some pretty terrific software!
I’ve never regretted the trouble I went to or the results I ended up getting. It truly was my last chance. As it turns out that imaging likely WAS my last MRI - of any body part, ever. I had a pacemaker implanted in March of this year and it would have to be turned off to send me tubing now. That’s a no-way- José as far as the heart and I are concerned into the foreseeable future. It’s hard enough for us to tolerate the momentary loss of signal when the EP cardio does his routine testing.
There does remain this one thing I NEVER will understand...
Since it’s so easy to complete a pre-purchase
quality and price comparison
when I'm making decisions about something like
which brand of a major appliance I’ll purchase….
WHY (oh why oh why)
does it have to be soooo very hard
to do the same thing
every single time the decision I'm making concerns
which consumer paid health care services I’ll utilize?
Finally, did you mention you’d been doing well for ~30 months now? When was your last MRI then? Seems like that’s some long term good time to still be paying on pics you can’t even carry in your wallet to drag out and brag on :( No wonder the wife is concerned. I do hope this works out for you in just the way you need it to.
you know my answer - head south to OSU and use their 3T. They have one in Gahanna. If you can, contact MSAA about their MRI fund - they will cover the cover for undiagnosed folks and also help with ongoing MRI rechecks. Give them a call.
Hey johnnie; good to see you. Thanks for the tip; I'll try to follow up on that tomorrow. Of course, it would help if I knew where they are, too, but we can figure that out.
Hello there PastorDan,
Not knowing the area at all, could you call the MS Society and ask them?
Maybe they also have a facility that will take a reduced rate and payments..
take care,,,,
JB
Not knowing the area at all, could you call the MS Society and ask them?
Maybe they also have a facility that will take a reduced rate and payments..
take care,,,,
JB
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