Private equity-backed radiology group SimonMed is partnering with digital healthcare marketplace Tripment Health to list its imaging services on the web in a transparent fashion.
With the agreement, New York-based Tripment is adding 160 additional diagnostic imaging centers across 11 states to its network. The platform partners with provider groups, allowing them to share their prices, offerings and appointment slots to target self-pay consumers and those with high-deductible insurance plans.
“With the addition of SimonMed, Tripment Health offers diagnostic imaging services—including CT scans, MRIs, X-rays, ultrasounds and mammograms—to a wider range of patients nationwide,” the firm said in a Jan. 26 announcement. “Patients who book appointments with SimonMed through the Tripment platform can find diagnostic imaging services near them with transparent, discounted upfront prices.”
CEO Alex Radunsky founded the firm after receiving an unexpectedly high bill for an MRI, owing about $5,400 out of pocket after insurance. Tripment allows patients to price-shop for scans, with CTs starting at about $180 and MRIs $350. The firm also has partnerships with primary care physicians and can facilitate referrals for imaging through the platform. On its website, Tripment attempts to woo radiology groups by touting the ability to fill appointment slots, collect same-day payments and minimize administrative burdens.
The company was recently in the news after competitor MDSave filed suit, claiming Tripment and others stole its business model. Radunsky “vehemently and adamantly” denied the allegations at the time and said he planned to “seriously and vigorously” defend the company in court.
SimonMed, meanwhile, is based in Scottsdale, Arizona, and employs about 200 radiologists, handling 2 million visits per year. The group inked a partnership with private equity firm American Securities in April 2021 at a time when it had 147 imaging centers, hoping to fuel further growth.
Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.