MRI Help: I need to get an MRI for my knee. I also have shoulder pain. Should I have both areas at once?

Question:

I have had nagging shoulder pain for a while now. However, I hurt my knee doing some college wrestling and will be getting an MRI this week for my knee. Should I try to get both my knee and shoulder MRI done at the same time or is this a headache for the orthopedic doc? I wasn't sure if this would save me some money because I have a 20% copay for my insurance. Also, I figured if I had to have some stuff done that I could do both at once and that way I could get it over with all at the same time. Any help would be appreciated!

Answers:
This should have been arranged before your appointment. It is up to your doctor to order and schedule both tests. To show up and expect that the MRI technologist will just do both is very inconsiderate of the patients that will follow your appointment as a MRI usually takes about 45 minutes and this will cause all the patients after you to be at least an hour late with their appointments. If there is an open spot after your knee scheduled time, the tech can call your doctor and ask if it can be done, but this should have been brought up by you at your appointment with the ordering doctor. Many times, a reputable doctor will not order a test as expensive as an MRI without examining the patient.

OR, you can call the doctor before your appointment and have BOTH tests scheduled at once. You may have to switch days to do this, but it seems to be the best option.

As for saving money, these are TWO SEPARATE exams, no discount will be given for the test, or radiologist reading.

Other Answers:
You will have to pay for both separately. You will need to make sure you have preauthorization for the shoulder, you already must have it for the knee.

yes you should get them both done at the same, it's better that way and you will know what's going with both

they should be able to do both i have had both done at the sametime if they tell they can't it's because of the ins. hope everything work's out for you.you can also call your ins com. and ask them they could more in likely tell you. I also had a full body MIR done at one time. best of luck to you

You would most likely have a similar copay regardless if they're done together or separate. The real cost is in reading the results. The only MRIs I've had done have been on my brain for epilepsy, I've had about 20 in 2 years. These are the most recent ones.I told the tech that I thought I had more MRIs than most small towns. He said I've had more than most major cities. They no longer recommend full body scans. I'm lucky because I'm on a National Institute of Health study and they pay all of it. They cost about $7000.00 each for brain studies.

I don't think they can do both at the same time, I would imagine that the sound waves used for one would interrupt the one used for the other. Sorry.

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MRI Help: I need to get an MRI for my knee. I also have shoulder pain. Should I have both areas at once?

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