Evaluating the Downstream Revenues of a Self-Pay Bi-Parametric Prostate MRI Program

To quantify downstream healthcare utilization and revenue associated with a self-pay bi-parametric prostate MRI (bpMRI) program.

Medical records of 592 patients who underwent bpMRI between August 2017 and March 2020 were examined for follow-up clinical activities. These include prostate biopsy, radical prostatectomy, external beam radiation therapy, brachytherapy, androgen deprivation therapy, CT Chest, Abdomen and Pelvis, PET/CT, MRI Pelvis, and Nuclear Medicine Bone Scans. The charges for each clinical activity were derived from the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule to conservatively estimate revenues. This patient population was further divided into four groups: Group A, patients who demonstrated an MRI lesion and underwent prostatectomy; Group B, patients who did not demonstrate lesion but underwent prostatectomy; Group C, patients who demonstrated lesion but did not undergo prostatectomy; and Group D, patients who neither demonstrated lesion nor underwent prostatectomy. Revenues for each group were categorized by Urology, Radiation Oncology and Radiology subspecialties.

Conservative estimates yielded $520 of downstream revenue per patient who underwent bpMRI. Group A patients yielded 47% of total revenue ($1974 per patient). Group B patients, the smallest group, yielded $1828 per patient. Group C patients made up the largest group and grossed $398 per patient. Group D demonstrated the lowest per patient revenue of $179. Groups A and B yielded most relative revenue for Urology. Group C yielded most relative revenue for Radiation Oncology, and Group D yielded most relative revenue for Radiology.

A self-pay bpMRI program has the potential to improve patient access to prostate cancer screening while remaining financial sustainable.