Policies
Billing
A record of each project’s billable scan time is compiled from the web-based scheduling system and charged on a monthly basis. The Lead MR Technician will email an invoice at the beginning of each month to the Project Contact and PI detailing the hours scanned during the previous month and the account number to be billed. The Project Contact or PI must verify and reply that the information is correct, or charges will automatically be submitted at the end of the month. Changes to charge reports will not be made after the end of the month; therefore, it is crucial for each Project Contact or PI to review his/her charge reports for accuracy and dispute any charges as soon as possible.
Once the Lead MR Technician has received confirmation from the Project Contact or PI, charges to Accounts Payable for that month will be submitted. No e-mail response from the Project Contact or PI will indicate that all charges are correct. At the end of the month the Lead MR Technician will issue the scanner charge report to each PI. This charge report will contain any additional information regarding canceled scanning sessions and accumulated credits.
Current Scan Rates: MRI scans are booked at a rate of $600/hour. This rate includes a fee for a radiological read performed by the Radiology Associates of South Florida (RASF). Projects with IRB approval for scans to be read at another facility or institution will be charged MRI scan time at a rate of $515/hour. A minimum of 30 minutes will be charged for any individual scan. Scans extending beyond one hour will be prorated by the half-hour.
Cancellations
CIS users may cancel their scanning sessions 24 hours or more in advance of their scheduled scanning time without penalty. When a scanning session is canceled within less than 24 hours of the scheduled time, the session will be removed from the calendar but a record of it will be retained. If no one uses the time, then it will result in a charge $300. It is in the user’s best interest to notify the other users via the CIA email listserv that the scanning session has been canceled and the time slot is now free. This will increase the likelihood that someone else will book the time, thereby avoiding the pending charge.
If a scan must be terminated prematurely, the user cannot edit the schedule. In this case, to avoid being charged for the time, the Level 3 Operator will note specific information in the scan logbook as to the cause, such as subject withdrawal due to claustrophobia. If the session is terminated due to equipment failure, the user should contact the MR Physicist immediately so that the equipment can be repaired and/or subsequent users notified of the problem.