September 30, 2026
Radiology Practices that Own Imaging Scanners are 17% Less Likely to Close or Consolidate with Another Practice
A new study from the Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute found that radiology practices that perform both imaging scans and interpretation services were 17% less likely to close than practices that do not own imaging scanners. The study, based on 30,625 practice-years over the 2008-2021 period, was published in the Journal of the American College of Radiology.
“Consolidation is pervasive across healthcare, including practices with radiologists. We examined radiology practice closures, which are indicative of consolidation. Prior studies have shown that the number of radiology practices has declined even as the radiologist workforce has grown,” said Eric Christensen, PhD, research director at the Neiman Institute and study lead author. “Specifically, this study tested whether practices that own imaging scanners (as proxied by technical component billing) are more likely to remain independent than practices billing only for imaging interpretation. We hypothesized the additional financial resources from technical component revenue may be protective against consolidation.”
The researchers examined the percentage of a practice’s claims with technical component billing using a 5% sample of Medicare fee-for-service claims data. Practices with any technical component billing were 17% less likely to close than practices without any technical component billing, while practices that include the technical component on a majority of imaging claims were 23% less likely to close, according to the study. Practice closure was also less likely with larger practice size.
“ACR/RBMA workforce surveys found that four-fifths of practice leaders reported that technical ownership was either very or extremely important to their practices’ ability to remain independent,” said Richard Duszak, MD, Professor Emeritus at the University of Mississippi School of Medicine, member ACR Board of Chancellors and study senior author. “Our results are consistent with this. Practices with higher technical component billing seem somewhat protected against forces driving consolidation, likely because of higher revenue or better negotiating positions.”
“The growing pressure to consolidate is reducing opportunities for early-career radiologists to become practice owners,” explained Eric Rubin, MD, Vice President of Radiology Clinical Operations at Virtua Health, member ACR Board of Chancellors, and study coauthor. “Our results suggest that ownership of imaging scanners may help practices remain independent and preserve opportunities for physician ownership, while practices that only interpret imaging studies appear increasingly vulnerable to consolidation.”
To arrange an interview with a spokesperson, contact Nichole Gonzalez at ngonzalez@neimanhpi.org.
About the Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute
The Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute is one of the nation’s leading medical imaging socioeconomic research organizations. The Neiman Institute studies the role and value of radiology and radiologists in evolving health care delivery and payment systems and the impact of medical imaging on the cost, quality, safety and efficiency of health care. Visit us at www.neimanhpi.org and follow us on X, BlueSky or LinkedIn.