By PHYLLIS ZORN

Staff writer

Patients in need of hospital imaging services such as x-rays, CT scans, and MRIs, can save money by arranging payment through MDsave, an online health care marketplace now collaborating with St. Luke Hospital.

It’s a way for patients with high-deductible insurance plans, or no insurance, to save money on the price of those tests, St. Luke marketing director Roger Schroeder said.

Patients log on to the MDsave.com website, scroll down to find providers in Kansas, and look at the procedures and prices available at regional hospitals.

They then pay a reduced price to MDsave, which provides a voucher for them to take to St. Luke. The patient does not get additional bills for the procedure.

“It’s a far less expensive cost for the patient,” Schroeder said.

Part of why the cost is lower is that the hospital doesn’t have to bill insurance and later collect money from the patient, he said.

“By collecting the money up front, it makes those things better for the patients,” Schroeder said.

A national average price for an x-ray is $222, Schroeder said. Through MDsave, the average price is $101. St. Luke’s price through MDsave is $97.

“In today’s marketplace, healthcare can be confusing and expensive, especially for consumers who are uninsured or carry high-deductible insurance plans,” St. Luke CEO Jeremy Ensey said. “This service can help these patients access the same quality healthcare they have come to expect at our hospital at a lower cost.”