Imaging Without Insurance in Montana

Big Sky Imaging · September 4, 2026

Being uninsured or on a high-deductible plan changes how you should approach imaging. Not because the scan is different, but because you are the one paying, which means you get to ask questions most patients never think to ask.

This is what to ask, and what good answers look like.

Ask for the cash price by name

Use those words: cash price or self-pay rate. It is often a different, lower number than the amount that would be billed to an insurer, and at many facilities you will not be offered it unless you ask. Then ask the follow-up that matters most: does that include the radiologist reading it?

That single question separates a real quote from a partial one. Imaging is frequently billed in two parts, the scan itself and the interpretation, and they can come from two different organisations. A quote that covers only the first half is how people end up with an unexpected invoice weeks later.

For reference, our published ultrasound prices include the read in every one of the 43 studies we perform.

Histogram of 43 published ultrasound cash prices, most falling between $250 and $450 — What a published price list looks like when someone actually publishes one. Most studies fall between $250 and $450.

Ask whether prepayment changes the price

Many discounted self-pay rates are conditional on paying at or before the visit. If you are quoted a number, ask directly whether it depends on prepayment, because that condition is rarely volunteered.

Ask what happens if the study needs to be extended

Some ultrasound exams start limited and become complete depending on what the sonographer finds. Ask what that changes about the price before you are on the table, not after. A good answer is specific. Ours is on the price list: a limited abdominal is $303.88 and a complete abdominal is $377.31, and if the study needs to become complete we tell you.

You still need an order, and that is not the slow part

Diagnostic imaging requires a provider's order everywhere. What self-pay patients often do not realise is that they are skipping the step that actually causes delay. Insurance prior authorization is what turns a same-week study into a three-week one, and paying cash removes it entirely. We do not require an authorization to schedule anyone.

If you do not have an order, more people can write one than most patients expect: primary care, urgent care, a specialist you already see, and in Montana a physical therapist.

Know what is not worth shopping for

Price shopping makes sense for planned, non-urgent imaging. It does not make sense when something is acute. If a provider has told you a study is urgent, get it done and sort the money out afterwards. Almost every facility, including us, would rather have that conversation than have someone delay a scan they needed.

What we do not offer

We perform X-ray, ultrasound, echocardiograms and EKGs. We do not perform MRI, CT, mammography or DEXA, and if your order calls for one of those we will tell you rather than take the referral. Read the scans we do not offer and where they fit, or the specific notes on MRI in Montana and bone density scans.

Common questions

Is the cash price always cheaper than using insurance?

No, and anyone who tells you otherwise is guessing about your plan. With a high deductible the cash price is often lower, because you would be paying the full negotiated rate anyway. With good coverage and a met deductible, insurance usually wins. Ask for both numbers and compare them. You are allowed to.

Can I pay cash even though I have insurance?

Generally yes, and it is a reasonable choice when the cash price is below what your plan would leave you owing. Be aware that a study paid in cash outside your plan usually does not count toward your deductible, which matters if you expect more care later in the year.

Do you take Medicare and Medicaid?

Yes, both. Cash pay is one door of several, and there is no attempt here to steer anyone toward it. Call (855) 249-9729 and we will tell you plainly which route makes sense for your situation.

What if I cannot pay it all at once?

Call and say so before the visit rather than after. Our team can talk through options. That conversation is far easier before a study than after a bill.