Use of MRI and CT in Private Imaging Facilities in Canada (2021-2023)

The private, for-profit imaging landscape is expanding and is anticipated to continue expanding due to changes in some provincial government policies aimed at reducing wait lists. The collection of data on private imaging can help to build a complete and comprehensive picture of overall procedural capacity across the country. Estimates on the number of publicly funded exams conducted in private facilities can inform the extent to which wait times have been impacted by the shift in some provincial government policies. The number of MRI and CT exams conducted at private facilities has increased over the past 4 fiscal years, with the exception of the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic (2020 to 2021). Payment through private insurance and out-of-pocket payments were the main funding sources for MRI scans in 2021 to 2023 in the private setting. Provincial health care insurance was the main funding source for CT scans conducted at private facilities.