Here’s a statement that will shock no one: Healthcare insurance is draining the wallets of many Americans. As premiums rise to unprecedented levels and the debate in Washington goes on about the Affordable Care Act, stressed-out families across the country, including New Hampshire, are being faced with some unfortunate circumstances:
- Work two or three jobs to make ends meet.
- Empty whatever savings they might have.
- Roll the dice and forgo healthcare insurance.
Of course, the third option is not pragmatic for families, who must have healthcare insurance regardless of the cost. But the costs have risen to alarming levels and are beyond the reach of many people. Consider the young New Hampshire family of three who learned in 2018 that their coverage would skyrocket by nearly 60 percent, to more than $1,200 per month, and that the new policy would include a $6,000 deductible.
For those who do not qualify for federal subsidies because they earn too much income, the ACA has not helped much. According to a legislative report, about 25,000 New Hampshire residents paid the full amount for their healthcare plan in 2018, with the premiums rising 52 percent on average.
The end result translates into high deductibles and copays, and the associated consequence is that many people are reluctant to visit a hospital unless absolutely necessary. According to a 2017 survey, one-in-four Americans refused to seek needed medical care due to the cost.
Instead of being proactive concerning their health, people have become counter-productive by turning their healthcare plan into an unintended form of catastrophic insurance. New Hampshire residents are far from exempt. Over the past two decades, the state’s average rate of annual growth in healthcare spending has been higher than our New England neighbors and the nationwide average.
How do we make sure as many people have access to affordable and quality care as possible? That is the question we strive to answer.
Derry Imaging was founded to give patients an affordable alternative to expensive hospital imaging. We are proud to offer the highest-quality diagnostic imaging at a fraction of the cost, allowing patients to save 40-70 percent.
Learn more about what makes Derry Imaging different
Reasons for Increasing Premiums
Why are health insurance premiums so high? It’s a bit complex, but simply put, premiums are based on the cost of medical procedures and services and calculated by the number of times those procedures and services will be required from people grouped in what is called an “insurance risk pool.”
Premiums could be lowered by reducing the number of medical procedures that insurance companies cover. But that’s not feasible or welcome. Would you want to be told that your shoulder or knee replacement surgery wasn’t covered? How about if you became pregnant and learned you had to pay out of pocket to deliver your baby?
Keeping Costs Low
Research showed in 2017 that some hospitals collect half their profit from imaging services. In New Hampshire, patients who visit a hospital for imaging procedures can pay more than double what it would cost at Derry Imaging.
As an independent diagnostic imaging center, Derry Imaging can provide significant cost savings. The average cost of a back MRI at Derry Imaging is $800, compared to $3,840 at hospitals within 15 miles of our facilities. Similarly, the average cost of a chest CT is $450, compared to a hospital cost of $2,425.
Cost Comparison
| Diagnostic Test | DIC AVG Price | Hospital AVG Price | Savings |
| Xray – Chest | $95.00 | $390.00 | $295.00 |
| Xray – Lumbar Spine | $85.00 | $653.00 | $568.00 |
| Ultrasound – Abdomen | $325.00 | $1,192.00 | $867.00 |
| CT – Abdomen/Pelvis w/Contrast | $696.00 | $4,172.00 | $3,476.00 |
| CT – Chest | $450.00 | $2,425.00 | $1,975.00 |
| MRI – Back | $700.00 | $3,618.00 | $2,918.00 |
| MRI – Brain | $800.00 | $3,840.00 | $3,040.00 |
All above pricing is average cost. Hospitals within 15 mile radius of Derry Imaging facilities.
Of course, it is important not to sacrifice quality when it comes to imaging that saves lives. In addition to affordable pricing, we are proud to maintain the highest levels of accreditation and training as well as state of the art technology. Our wide bore MRI, for example, offers a more comfortable option for patients who may be anxious about their procedure.
Clearly, our country’s healthcare system will continue evolving. In what ways, and how premiums will be affected, is a question impossible to answer at the moment. The bottom line, as stated earlier, is that healthcare is too expensive.
But for residents faced with mounting bills, Derry Imaging’s ability to offer lower costs provides residents with some much-needed relief from a seemingly never-ending sea of escalating costs.