REGINA — Two private firms have been licensed by Saskatchewan's Ministry of Health to provide MRI services that people will pay for out of their own pockets.
Legislation that allows people to pay privately for scans has come into force in Saskatchewan.
Each private facility will set its own price for the MRI services and any patient who chooses to pay will not be eligible for cost coverage or reimbursement.
But it doesn't mean people can get an MRI whenever they want one, because they'll still need to be referred by a doctor.
Facilities that do a private MRI scan must also provide a second scan at no charge to an individual who is on the public waiting list.
The government says that last November there were 6,649 patients waiting for MRI services in the province.
Saskatchewan Health Minister Dustin Duncan introduced the legislation last year, saying it would reduce wait times for MRIs at no cost to taxpayers.
However, a letter to physicians from the president of the Saskatchewan Medical Association says it opposes the move. The letter says Health Minister Dustin Duncan was informed of the group's position in October.
A briefing note attached to the Dec. 4 letter says creating dual access to MRI scans does not reduce surgical wait times, and suggests it could lead to queue-jumping for surgery because those with a completed scan could see a specialist sooner.
