Should you cross the border to the U.S. and self-pay for diagnostic imaging services instead of using your health insurance plan to pay for them in Canada? There may be advantages to doing so.
Many Canadians are experiencing long wait times for medical care. In fact, a 2023 report by the Fraser Institute found the longest wait times — a median of 27.7 weeks — since the organization first began surveying physicians on the issue more than 30 years ago.
Long wait times are one reason some Canadians choose to seek and are willing to self-pay for healthcare services in the U.S. According to a 2024 poll of 1,001 Canadian adults conducted for Global News, 42 percent of respondents said they’d be willing to visit the United States and pay out of pocket for routine medical services if they felt it was necessary.
If you’re facing a long wait for a routine diagnostic imaging exam, such as an MRI, CT, or PET/CT scan, Windsong Radiology can provide the timely service you need so you can move forward with your medical care. Always ready to welcome Canadian patients, we offer self-pay services at multiple locations around Buffalo just a short drive from the international border. Let our team show you how convenient diagnostic imaging services can be.
What Is Self-Pay?
When you self-pay for health care, you pay the medical provider or facility yourself instead of your health insurance reimbursing them for services at a negotiated price. This doesn’t necessarily mean you lack health insurance. If you have insurance but prefer to self-pay, you can simply pay for services out of pocket without involving your insurance provider.
A 2022 U.S. law stipulates that, for people in the U.S. who don’t have or choose not to use health insurance, medical providers must supply a good faith estimate of how much a service will cost. Providers must furnish this estimate at least three business days prior to your scheduled care or if you request it.
At Windsong, we’re happy to provide a price quote for the service you need. All we require is a requisition from your physician with your name, date of birth, address, and phone number. You can also view self-pay prices in U.S. dollars for some of the most common procedures Canadian patients need, including MRI scans of various areas of the body.
Benefits of Self-Pay
One of the main advantages of paying out of pocket is increased access to medical services due to greater choice. When you self-pay, you don’t involve health insurance, and your insurance provider doesn’t determine where you can seek care. As a result, you’re free to obtain care from the medical provider that is most cost-effective and convenient for you, which opens a variety of new options.
In addition, compared with relying on health insurance, self-pay can save a lot of time. Rather than waiting for your insurance to approve a medical service or for a time slot at an insurance-approved facility to become available, you can seek care when it makes the most sense for you and, in many cases, avoid long wait times.
More Advantages of Crossing the Border for Care
At Windsong, we take pride in being good neighbors to those we serve on both sides of the U.S./Canada border. In addition to transparent, cost-effective self-pay services, Canadian patients can find many other benefits when they trust Windsong for their diagnostic imaging needs, including:
- Advanced technology. At Windsong, we use the latest imaging technologies to produce clear, accurate images you and your medical providers can rely on.
- Caring staff. Our imaging technologists and other team members will answer your questions and put you at ease during every step of the imaging process. That’s why we’ve earned a 98% satisfaction score from our patients.
- High-level physician expertise. Our board-certified radiologists subspecialize in many forms of imaging, including breast imaging, oncologic imaging, women’s imaging, musculoskeletal radiology, vascular imaging, and more.
- Six locations to choose from. Most patients from Canada choose to visit our Snyder location off the New York State Thruway, located at 4925 Main Street in Amherst. Canadian patients are eligible for a discounted rate at Hyatt Place Buffalo/Amherst, which sits across the street from our imaging center. Windsong has an additional location in Amherst, as well as imaging centers in Williamsville, Lancaster, Amherst, West Seneca, and Hamburg.
