united-states california medical massachusetts
Is it required by law to have a prescription to get an MRI scan in the United States?
<p>Is it required by law to have a prescription to get an MRI scan in the United States? If state specific, I'm interested in California and Massachusetts.</p>

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<p>I'm reading conflicting, unsupported information:</p>

<p><a href="https://www.nerdwallet.com/community/t/need-see-doctor-get-mri-scans/23315" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.nerdwallet.com/community/t/need-see-doctor-get-mri-scans/23315</a>:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>You need to see a doctor for a prescription to get an MRI scan of any type. </p>
</blockquote>

<p><a href="https://ask.metafilter.com/96943/Is-it-possible-to-get-an-MRI-and-have-it-read-without-a-referral" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://ask.metafilter.com/96943/Is-it-possible-to-get-an-MRI-and-have-it-read-without-a-referral</a>:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Yes, it's possible. It's very expensive, and a lot of radiologists won't even consider trying to interpret such a study without a referring doctor's request, because of the malpractice liability. (You cannot have the test performed without paying for its interpretation, as far as I am aware.)</p>
</blockquote>

<p><a href="https://www.quora.com/Can-I-get-an-MRI-or-a-CAT-scan-without-a-referral-if-I-just-want-to-see-what-my-brain-looks-like-What-can-it-tell-me-about-myself" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.quora.com/Can-I-get-an-MRI-or-a-CAT-scan-without-a-referral-if-I-just-want-to-see-what-my-brain-looks-like-What-can-it-tell-me-about-myself</a>:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>In general, you must have a prescription for an imaging procedure. </p>
</blockquote>

<p><a href="https://travel.stackexchange.com/questions/132726/are-medical-prescriptions-for-medical-imaging-or-physiotherapy-sessions-written#comment329220_132726">https://travel.stackexchange.com/questions/132726/are-medical-prescriptions-for-medical-imaging-or-physiotherapy-sessions-written#comment329220_132726</a>: </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>it is not illegal to give an MRI without a referral, and in the US you could probably find someone who would do it as long as you could afford the very high costs. </p>
</blockquote>

<p>The term "prescription" generally applies to drugs and is covered by pharmacy law and typically has formal requirements regarding the paper or method of transcription, so in a literal sense a prescription is not required. The law in California as it deals with prescriptions (<a href="https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayexpandedbranch.xhtml?lawCode=HSC&amp;division=10.&amp;title=&amp;part=&amp;chapter=4.&amp;article=1.&amp;goUp=Y" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Controlled Substances Act</a>, or <a href="https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?lawCode=BPC&amp;division=2.&amp;title=&amp;part=&amp;chapter=9.&amp;article=2." rel="nofollow noreferrer">general pharmacy regulation</a>) does not imply a requirement for a "prescription". If we switch to "doctors orders", then perhaps there is a requirement. This comes up in <a href="https://www.lsbme.la.gov/sites/default/files/documents/Advisory%20Opinions/Self-Referred%20MRI%20Testing.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this letter</a> (<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20170126044242/https://www.lsbme.la.gov/sites/default/files/documents/Advisory%20Opinions/Self-Referred%20MRI%20Testing.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">mirror</a>) from the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners, who take the position that self-referral for MRI is the practice of medicine, which is illegal without a medical license. A radiologists who performs the procedure would exceed the scope of their license. However, there is no specific statute that says "You must have a doctors orders to perform an MRI", instead that follows from more general laws. They do point out that MRIs often entail injections which cannot be administered except under a doctor's orders. MRI technology is regulated under Louisiana law (start <a href="https://law.justia.com/codes/louisiana/2014/code-revisedstatutes/title-37/rs-37-3200/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">here</a>).</p>

<p>X-ray technicians are similarly regulated in <a href="https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?lawCode=HSC&amp;division=104.&amp;title=&amp;part=1.&amp;chapter=4.&amp;article=5." rel="nofollow noreferrer">California</a>, but that article does not apply to MRI. You must be licensed to perform an x-ray, acting within the scope of that license, and under the supervision of an appropriate licentiate of the healing arts. Bills have been <a href="https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201520160AB1092" rel="nofollow noreferrer">introduced to widen state control</a>, to include MRI technology, but this has not yet happened. When a contrast agent is involved, you have to have a doctor's orders.</p>

<p>In short, it depends primarily on the extent to which MRI is regulated, but also whether an injection is required. There are orthogonal liability issues and regulatory <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/42/482.26" rel="nofollow noreferrer">interactions with Medicare</a>.</p>
