• More than 95 million CT, MRI, and PET scans are done each year in the United States at a cost of more than $100 billion
• According to recent studies, 20 to 50 percent of the tests were not necessary because the results did not help with the diagnosis or treatment¹
• There are one-third more CT scanners and 2.5 times as many MRIs per person in the United States compared to other developed countries²
• All of these imaging tests are raising concern about the dangers of radiation exposure; the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) is working on a project to reduce unnecessary radiation exposure from three medical imaging procedures: CT scans, nuclear medicine studies, and fluoroscopy
• The price tag for a CT scanner is $1 million and up to $3 million for a MRI machine compared to $175,000 for an x-ray machine²
• Look at the average costs for an image of the spine³:
  
  

  Imaging Test	Cost*
  X-Ray	$89
  CT of cervical spine without contrast	$564
  CT of thoracic spine without contrast	$559
  CT of lumbar spine without contrast	$582
  MRI of cervical spine without contrast	$888
  MRI of thoracic spine without contrast	$968
  MRI of lumbar spine without contrast	$863

  
  *Cost is what Wellmark pays; does not include member cost share which will vary based on benefits.

• Working with providers to evaluate the value of new medical technology
• Implementing programs to make sure treatment guidelines are being followed for expensive imaging tests
• Analyzing data to determine trends and opportunities for savings

• Ask questions to find out if a test is truly necessary
• With back pain, for example, 90 percent of the time, the pain will heal on its own within weeks and an X-ray or MRI is not recommended unless the pain lingers for four to six weeks; a 2009 study found that among Medicare patients with back pain, nearly 1 in 3 get some kind of back scan within the first month⁴
• Before a test or procedure, learn about risks and if there are other options
• Find a range of total medical cost estimates for more than 100 of the most common medical treatments and conditions by logging into myWellmark and accessing the Cost and Quality widget
• Call Personal Health Assistant 24/7 at 1-800-724-9122 and speak with a nurse to learn more information about the surgery your doctor is recommending and what questions to ask

¹Where Can $700 Billion In Waste Be Cut Annually From The U.S. Healthcare System?, Thomson Reuters, October 2009

²OECD Health Data

³Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield Health Care Analytics, June 2010

⁴Health Affairs, Oct. 2009