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Nationally, imaging accounted for 24% of all outpatient visits and 17% of outpatient spending in 2022, according to a new issue brief from the Health Care Cost Institute (HCCI). Only diagnostic testing and labs accounted for a larger proportion of outpatient visits by category (31%). Mammography and chest x-rays are the most common among imaging services. In terms of reimbursement, commercial payment for imaging is higher than what Medicare pays, with commercial reimbursement averaging 245–314% of Medicare rates. For example, the average price for a standard x-ray with employer-sponsored insurance coverage is $936 compared to $298 for the same service paid by Medicare. Overall, imaging contributed nearly 7% of per-person healthcare spending in 2022, according to HCCI.
Value proposition: Imaging services represent a potential opportunity for volume-driven business growth for any urgent care. State laws that govern who can perform x-rays can change the value proposition in any particular market, however. In Ohio, the House of Representatives recently introduced a bill—a companion to a Senate bill previously introduced—that would for the first time authorize nurse practitioners and physician assistants to provide direct, on-site supervision for x-ray machine operators. Currently, Ohio law requires that on-site supervision must be provided by physicians, which creates staffing concerns and affects the bottom line. Read more about the issue in Ohio from the JUCM archive: Ohio Aims To Update Supervision Of X-Ray Techs, Improving Access In Urgent Care