SimonMed Imaging launches new add-on AI services with extra out-of-pocket charges

SimonMed Imaging is launching several new add-on artificial intelligence services that come with extra out-of-pocket charges. 

The Scottsdale, Arizona-based radiology practice said Monday it’s seeking to scale AI across all routine imaging, hoping to deliver “preventive insights nationwide.” SimonMed will apply AI to multiple routine examinations, hoping to deliver added insights to those visiting the practice. 

Patients who opt for these services receive results from its digital health platform, including visual explanations, guided next steps, and “one-click access” to a patient navigator who supports follow-up care. 

“AI is accelerating a fundamental shift in healthcare, from reacting to disease to managing health over time,” CEO and Founder John Simon, MD, said in a statement May 4. “By embedding AI directly into routine imaging, we’re able to extract more meaningful insights from exams patients are already having and make those insights easier for patients to understand and act on.”

Offerings include Calcium Score+, which charges patients an extra $50 to extract more information from CT scans they’re already receiving. It enhances traditional coronary calcium scoring with AI-enabled analysis and a “more guided reporting experience,” quantifying plaque and helping gauge cardiovascular risk. “CT Bone Density,” meanwhile, costs $50 and uses AI to assess bone mineral density opportunistically from CT scans that include the spine, “enabling evaluation of bone health without the need for a dedicated DEXA exam.” 

Patients also can opt for both of these AI enhancements for a total of $80. SimonMed said they can be added to most noncontrast CT chest exams, including lung cancer screenings. CT Bone Density also may be applied to abdomen and pelvis CT scans, “expanding opportunities to assess fracture risk across a broader patient population.” 

A fourth service, MR Lumbar Spine+, costs $50 out of pocket. It applies FDA-cleared AI to standard MRI spine exams, delivering quantitative measurements, severity grading and “annotated visualizations.” SimonMed said this can result in “more standardized, objective insights to support both clinical interpretation and patient understanding.” These add-ons are in addition to the practice’s already established Personalized Breast Cancer Detection program, which charges an extra $40 to have AI read over mammograms. 

SimonMed said its new AI platform is designed to integrate into routine radiology workflows, allowing for advanced assessments in community-based imaging settings. Its new offerings are part of the practice’s broader strategy to build an “an integrated, AI-driven imaging ecosystem, where advanced analytics, patient engagement and preventive screening come together to support earlier detection.” 

Founded in 2003, SimonMed operates over 170 imaging centers across 10 states, supported by a team of over 300 radiologists.  The group inked a $600 million partnership with New York private equity firm American Securities in 2021 and has grown steadily since. It also offers an elective whole-body MRI service called SimonMed Longevity.