What Does Mobile Imaging Cost? A Facility's Guide to Pricing

"What does mobile imaging cost?" is the first question most facilities ask — and for a Medicare-covered resident, the honest answer is usually: nothing out of pocket to the facility. Here's why, and what the real cost decision actually is.

Who actually pays

For an eligible resident, Medicare Part B covers portable X-ray, ultrasound, and EKG ordered by a physician, and the mobile imaging provider bills Medicare (or the resident's plan) directly. The facility isn't invoiced per study — the billing relationship is between the provider and the payer.

That reframes the question. For a covered resident, your decision isn't a sticker price — it's which provider, what response time, and on what terms. The clinical service is covered; what varies is the reliability.

Scope: this covers portable studies — X-ray, ultrasound, EKG. Studies that need a fixed scanner (MRI, CT, PET, full-field mammography) can't be delivered in-home and involve transport + separate facility pricing.

For how Medicare actually reimburses these — CPT/HCPCS codes, the transportation component, place-of-service codes, enrollment — see Medicare Reimbursement for Mobile Imaging.

What drives value (the levers that actually vary)

Even when the clinical service is covered, providers differ on the things that determine value to your facility:

• STAT vs. routine. A guaranteed STAT response (hours, not "we'll try") is the premium service — get the SLA in writing.
• Volume / contract terms. Steady volume can earn a preferred-provider arrangement: predictable response, consistent billing, a team that knows your building.
• Equipment quality. Digital (DR) vs. older CR/film affects image quality and turnaround.
• Coverage + travel. Whether the provider genuinely serves your ZIP at the urgency you need — not a state-wide claim.
• Report turnaround + delivery. STAT reads and how the report reaches your team (fax / portal / EMR).

For non-Medicare / private-pay

When Part B doesn't apply (e.g., certain private-pay situations), pricing is per-study or by contract and is provider-specific — ask each provider directly. We don't quote a market price because there isn't a single sourceable one; request it as part of comparing providers.

The bottom line

For most facility residents, mobile X-ray / ultrasound / EKG is a covered service the provider bills directly — so your "cost" decision is really about reliability, response time, and report quality, not a price tag. Compare providers on those, get the STAT SLA in writing, and confirm coverage of your area.

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Comparing mobile imaging providers in your area? Search by location and service → · New to ordering it? How to order mobile X-ray for your facility → · How billing works → Medicare Reimbursement for Mobile Imaging