Ultrasound

Ultrasound in Montana, in our clinic or at the bedside.

Diagnostic ultrasound with no radiation, in one of our clinics or wherever the patient already is. Easy to order, quick to schedule, and read by our teleradiology partner.

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Understanding ultrasound

What an ultrasound is.

An ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves rather than radiation to build real-time images of soft tissue, organs and blood flow. It is painless, carries no radiation dose, and can be repeated as often as the clinical picture requires. That last point matters for pregnant patients, for children, and for anyone already carrying a heavy imaging history.

It is also the right tool for a large set of questions an X-ray simply cannot answer. Gallstones, a suspected blood clot, a thyroid nodule, an enlarging aorta, a soft tissue mass, kidney function, flow through the carotid arteries: these are ultrasound territory.

Your ordering provider decides when ultrasound is the right study. Big Sky schedules and captures the imaging. Interpretation is handled by Rapid Radiology, our teleradiology partner, and the report goes back to the ordering provider.

Diagnostic ultrasound images including colour Doppler flow
What we scan

Studies we commonly perform.

A sample of what providers order from us most often. If the study you need is not listed, call and ask, because the menu is broader than any page can sensibly print.

Abdomen and pelvis

Complete and limited abdominal studies, renal and retroperitoneal, right upper quadrant and gallbladder, liver elastography, pelvic and limited non-obstetric pelvic, and transvaginal.

Vascular and Doppler

Carotid duplex, bilateral or unilateral. Lower and upper extremity venous studies for suspected DVT. Arterial studies and ankle-brachial index. Aorta and inferior vena cava, plus transcranial Doppler.

Aorta screening

Abdominal aortic aneurysm screening and real-time abdominal aorta imaging with documentation, including the Medicare AAA screening study.

Neck, thyroid and soft tissue

Neck, thyroid and parathyroid, soft tissue of the chest wall, extremity soft tissue both complete and limited, and imaging of nerves and surrounding structures.

Breast

Complete and limited breast ultrasound, left or right. Note that ultrasound is not a mammogram, and the two answer different questions.

Obstetric

Diagnostic obstetric studies including dating, growth follow-up, limited fetal study, twins, biophysical profile and cord Doppler, with a provider's order.

Men's health

Scrotal and prostate ultrasound.

Cardiac

Cardiac ultrasound is its own service. See echocardiograms for transthoracic studies, and EKG for rhythm testing.

Not on our list

We do not perform MRI, CT, mammography or DEXA, and we do not offer keepsake or entertainment ultrasound. Here is where those studies happen.

How it works

Three simple steps.

1. A provider places the order

Order online, or download the referral form (PDF) and fax it to (406) 206-5015. No portal logins and no new software to learn.

2. We image in-clinic or come to the patient

The patient visits a nearby hub, or a technologist brings the equipment to their home, clinic or facility.

3. Results go back to the provider

Images are interpreted by Rapid Radiology and the report returns to the ordering provider.

Where we scan

Ultrasound across Montana.

Ultrasound is available from our hubs in Missoula, Helena, Great Falls, Bozeman, Kalispell and the Flathead Valley, and Billings. Each hub serves the towns around it, in-clinic and by mobile visit, which is how patients in places like Hamilton, Libby, Havre and Deer Lodge get scanned without a long drive.

In Wyoming we are established in Cheyenne with X-ray and EKG, and expanding. Ultrasound is not yet available there. Ask us about your community and we will tell you plainly where we stand rather than guess.

See the full service area
Sonographer performing a diagnostic ultrasound exam
Why Big Sky

Built to make imaging easy.

No patient transport

We come to homes, clinics, nursing homes and facilities, so fragile patients do not have to be moved to be scanned.

Quick scheduling

Faster access than hospital-based imaging in most markets we serve, without an insurance authorization holding up the calendar.

A published price

We publish what an ultrasound costs, by exam, from $170.03 to $806.65 depending on the study. Cash pay, Medicare and Medicaid all accepted. See the full price list.

Common questions

Ultrasound, answered.

Do I need a referral for an ultrasound?
You need a provider's order, which is a clinical and billing requirement for diagnostic imaging rather than a Big Sky policy. You do not need insurance prior authorization to get on our schedule, which is usually the step that causes long waits. If you do not have an order, your primary care provider, a specialist, an urgent care clinic or a physical therapist can write one.
How long does an ultrasound take?
Most studies take roughly 20 to 45 minutes depending on what is being examined. A limited single-organ look is quicker than a complete abdominal or a bilateral vascular study. Your technologist will tell you what to expect before starting.
Do I need to prepare?
It depends on the study. Abdominal and gallbladder exams usually require fasting beforehand, and pelvic studies often require a full bladder. Vascular, thyroid and soft tissue studies generally need no preparation at all. We tell you exactly what applies to your exam when we schedule it, so you are not turned away for eating breakfast.
Is ultrasound safe?
Ultrasound uses sound waves, not ionising radiation, so there is no radiation dose. It is used routinely in pregnancy and in children for that reason, and studies can be repeated as often as the clinical situation calls for.
Do you offer 3D, 4D or keepsake ultrasound?
No. We perform diagnostic ultrasound ordered by a provider to answer a clinical question. We do not offer elective, keepsake or entertainment scans. If you are pregnant and your provider has ordered a diagnostic obstetric study, that is something we do.
Can you come to a nursing home or assisted living facility?
Yes, and it is a large part of what we do. On-site ultrasound avoids the cost, the risk and the disruption of transferring a resident out for a study. See mobile imaging for care facilities.
Can I pay cash without insurance?
Yes, and you can see the number before you call. Our 2026 ultrasound price list publishes a cash price for all 43 studies we perform, and each price includes the radiologist's reading fee, so there is no second bill weeks later. A complete abdominal is $377.31, a pelvic is $338.27, a bilateral carotid duplex is $631.02. Medicare and Medicaid are accepted as well. Because we do not require an insurance authorization to schedule, self-pay patients are not waiting behind anyone else's paperwork.
How fast do results come back?
Images go to Rapid Radiology for interpretation and the report returns to the ordering provider. If a study is urgent, tell us when you place the order and we will flag it.

Order an ultrasound today.

Send a referral online or call us. We will confirm the details, tell you any prep the study needs, and get a technologist scheduled in your region.

Order an ultrasound 2026 price list (PDF) Call (855) 249-9729