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WESTON, Wis., April 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Economic conditions and Hospital System Consolidation have left some patients to make difficult financial decisions. Case in point: Recently Channing Worzalla and his spouse shared their story of financial hardship. During the diagnosis and treatment of a serious gastrointestinal disease, Mrs. Worzalla was required to have two MRIs. Her doctor asked her to have the scan at the Aspirus Hospital in Wausau.

Mrs. Worzalla trusts her doctor, so she scheduled her exam for a few weeks later. On the day of her scan, technical difficulties required her to reschedule for a later date. A day later she received a letter in the mail confirming her new appointment and letting her know that she would need to pay $3,000 at the time of service. She called her insurance company and was told that the scans were pre-approved and would cost a total of almost $14,000, of which she would need to pay about $6,000. The exam was essential, so the Worzallas decided to take a hardship withdrawal from their 401K plan for $7,000.

Fortunately, Mr., Worzalla took the time to do a quick search online and found out about Smart Scan Medical Imaging and their flat rate of $850 for the same MRI. The two exams would cost $1,700, not $14,000. "I was flabbergasted that the difference could be so much. I looked at reviews and the Smart Scan website and was convinced this would be a better option for my wife." The Worzallas took that information to their doctor's team where they were told that the practice was unaware of Smart Scan.  "I was surprised at their response. Smart Scan is just a couple of miles away from their office. They have lots of patients that need MRIs. Why are they OK with having their patients pay thousands more at the Hospital if they have a high-quality option that is so much less expensive?"

Having all of the information, Mrs. Worzalla scheduled her exams at Smart Scan where she was seen the very next day. "I had a wonderful experience. Everything was better than I expected, and the results were sent to my doctor almost immediately" said Worzalla.

"After my wife's scan was completed, I felt relieved, but also very angry. Her doctor should have known about the lower-cost option. The insurance company approved the very expensive MRIs and never told us that Smart Scan was an option. This story needs to be told. My wife took out $7,000 from her 401k, and she almost gave Aspirus Hospital all of it. It sickens me to know that other people in our position are handing their hard-earned cash or life savings over to Aspirus Hospital" proclaimed Worzalla. "How is this even allowed by my insurance company?"

"This is a sad story, but one we hear all too often," says Dr Jeffrery L. Rosengarten M.D. Chief Medical Officer and Co-Founder Smart Scan Medical Imaging. "Mr. Worzalla shared his story with me and it hit home. We founded SSMI to return dignity and affordability to healthcare. Having grown up in a poor family with the cancer gene, we lived through this type of hardship. Patients should not have to choose between getting quality care and paying extravagant prices." 

Smart Scan is working with Employers and Patient Groups to educate patients about their rights and options when it comes to outpatient care like MRIs and other services that can be sought outside of the hospital saving patients money and providing great outcomes. Many large healthcare providers however stand in the way of patient choice and discourage patients from using services outside of their hospitals or system.

Smart Scan has collaborated with Mid-West Family a Madison-based Advertising and Marketing firm, to produce an educational video and the launch of #BeatBigHealthcare. "The story the Smart Scan team brought to me was one that I related to as someone who had been coerced by my provider to stay within the system and pay too much for my MRI. Together we've produced an enlightening story about a patient's journey in taking charge of their healthcare decisions and advocating for themselves by choosing value" says Leia Scheenberger who worked on the project. "Standing up for your rights and demanding choice is important".

Smart Scan Medical Imaging operates clinics in Weston, Eau Claire, and Middleton and offers flat transparent rates for high-quality MRIs performed on new state-of-the-art GE MR scanners. for more information on Smart Scan or to see the entertaining and educational new video visit: www.mySSMI.com

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SOURCE Smart Scan Medical Imaging