Knoxville, Tenn. – Call them mavericks. Call them healthcare matchmakers of a sort.
A two-month-old company that connects cash-paying or uninsured patients to high quality, low cost test/imaging services is launching a revolution from the Knoxville area to reach across the state and later this year, across the country.
Samaritan Diagnostics brings affordable, viable healthcare solutions to cash paying patients and providers. Essentially, it is a web-based organization that connects cash-paying or uninsured customers to providers that have unused diagnostic capacity. Samaritan does not perform the actual procedures; it has a network of certified, highly qualified providers that offer reduced pricing for services in exchange for guaranteed payment.
So what exactly does that mean for the patient who needs a diagnostic test? For patients who are:
- Uninsured
- HSA holders
- High-deductible health plan carriers,
Samaritan Diagnostics provides access to tests for up to 75% less than patients would pay elsewhere. (Comparative price chart is below.)
For example, a typical MRI can cost between $1,400 and $2,500, but with Samaritan Diagnostic’s pre-negotiated, discounted pricing, the same MRI is $500 to $700. Affordable pricing is a reality because Samaritan sends the imaging/testing providers an abundance of cash-paying customers, with money collected up front.
“For customers, the process is simple. They contact Samaritan with a doctor’s order and we help them make an informed decision by providing the price and location of participating facilities. We offer global fees for each service, so customers know the exact price of the procedure up front. After choosing a provider, payment is accepted and customers are connected with the provider to schedule and perform the test,” said Brad Rasmussen, Samaritan Diagnostics spokesman. “The process is quick, simple, and affordable.”
“Unfortunately, patients who pay out-of-pocket for medical services are charged more than any other group in the healthcare system. The self-insured and uninsured are often charged more than insurance and government reimbursement rates – even when given a discount for cash payment,” said Dr. Mark Clapp, co-founder of Samaritan Diagnostics. “The largest threat facing these people is they usually cannot afford the test that’s needed, and they end up paying much more for a medical emergency that occurs as a result of undiagnosed symptoms.”
Patients may purchase an expanding package of medical services from Samaritan, including diagnostic imaging, diagnostic endoscopy and labs. These include MRIs, CT Scans, Colonoscopies and EGDs. There are no membership fees or hidden costs. Full, up-front payment is required to receive the discounts.
Samaritan Diagnostics currently partners with the following imaging/testing provider locations:
- Ambulatory Care Center of Wartburg (Wartburg, Tenn.)
- Cookeville Pathology Laboratory (Cookeville, Tenn.)
- Diagnostic Health (Knoxville, Tenn. – Hall of Fame Drive)
- Dr. Robert Yatto Internal Medicine (Crossville, Tenn.)
- East Tennessee Diagnostic Center (Knoxville, Tenn. – Dowell Springs Blvd.)
- Jamestown Regional Medical Center (Jamestown, Tenn.)
- Parkway Cardiology Associates (Oak Ridge, Tenn.)
- Spectrum Labs (Jamestown, Tenn.)
- Spectrum Labs (Knoxville, Tenn. – Sutherland Avenue)
- Wartburg Surgical Center (Wartburg, Tenn.)
- Woods Memorial Hospital (Etowah, Tenn.)
- Upper Cumberland Cancer Care (Crossville, Tenn.)
Physicians/groups who refer cash-paying patients to Samaritan Diagnostics:
- Ambulatory Care Center of Wartburg (Wartburg, Tenn.)
- Athens Medical Group (Athens, Tenn.)
- Cherokee Health System (Seymour, Tenn.)
- Deer Lodge Medical Center (Deer Lodge, Tenn.)
- Duck Family Practice (Rutledge, Tenn.)
- Family Health Center (Farragut, Tenn.)
- Fentress Family Practice (Jamestown, Tenn.)
- McCreary Primary Care Center (Whitley City, Ky.)
- Mountain People’s Health Clinic (Oneida, Tenn.)
- Prodigal Primary Care (Knoxville, Tenn.)
- Timothy J. Collins Family Practice (Etowah, Tenn.)
- Trent W. Cross, M.D. (Oneida, Tenn.)
- UT Health and Wellness (Alcoa, Tenn.)
For more information or to schedule an interview with Samaritan Diagnostics, visit www.SDSaves.com or contact Brad Rasmussen at (865) 224-0502 or brad@samaritandiagnostics.com.
Media Contact:
Sarah Malak
Ackermann PR
(865) 584-0550
smalak@ackermannpr.com