Virginia Mason Radiology, in Seattle, is a full-service imaging department that offers state of the art imaging services in general diagnosis (X-rays), mammography (stereotactic core biopsies), computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, nuclear medicine, ultrasound and interventional radiology. Inpatient imaging services are provided seven days a week, 24 hours a day.
Some insurance companies or plans require prior authorization before a patient is able to have an imaging exam. This means that the insurance company may require chart notes from your doctor’s office to ensure the exam being ordered is necessary. In most cases, we will work with your doctor to get the insurance company the information it needs to make its determination.
If your insurance company requires authorization, but decides not to grant it for your exam (denies coverage), the insurance company will typically not pay for the cost of the exam — even if your deductible has been met. We encourage all patients to find out from their insurance company whether the exam they need is covered, and whether an authorization is required ahead of time.
For elective (not medically urgent) MRI and CT studies, we must schedule your exam at least five business days from the date it was ordered. This allows us time to work with your insurance company to obtain prior authorization and prevents patients from receiving an unexpected medical bill.