Frequently Asked Questions

NHRA is a group of 32 radiologists who have been contracted to provide services at Hoag Memorial Hospital, Presbyterian since 1969. Our radiologists are nationally recognized (many are also known internationally) for their education, training and skills. We are proud to be one of the largest radiology groups in Southern California and known for our quality of patient care.

A radiologist is a medical doctor who assists your doctor in the delivery of your care. Radiologists specialize in diagnosing and treating disease/injury using medical imaging techniques such as X-ray, Ultrasound, Computed Tomography (CT), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Nuclear Medicine and Positron Emission Tomography (PET). In most cases, you will not even meet the radiologist as he/she is providing the interpretation of your exam in a specialized reading area. In certain cases, radiologists will meet with a patient to perform an invasive procedure.

The radiologists at NHRA act as expert consultants to your referring physician and help him/her choose the proper examination to be performed, interpret (or read) your final images and provide recommendations for further studies, if and when necessary. The radiologist supplies a written report to the referring physician so the results of your scan can be reviewed with you the next time you call or visit your doctor.

No, in all cases your information is taken by the hospital or imaging center and sent electronically to our billing office. You, or your insurance, will be billed for NHRA services shortly after we receive this information.

The hospital provides the technical portion of the radiology service and bills you for that portion only. NHRA provides the professional services related to your exam (interpreting or reading the images) and separately bills you for those services. In virtually all cases, you will receive two bills for each radiology exam, one from the hospital and one from NHRA.

We outsource our billing and collection procedures to an outside billing company. You should call 1-877-727-1071 to discuss any questions you have regarding your bill (please have it available when calling so the account number and date of service can easily be relayed to our billing representative).

Please call the NHRA corporate office at 949-645-3534. Although we do not have access to the billing system, and cannot look up your account, we can take your information and have a billing manager contact you.

No, we cannot take cash at the time of service. Once you get your bill you may pay by credit card or check. Until we receive the electronic download of your demographic information from the hospital or imaging center, we are unable to assist you on your account.

You need to contact the location/facility where you had your exam. NHRA only provides professional services and does not retain medical records (the facility where you had your procedure is required to keep these records for a legally required period of time). The cost to get copies of these records will be determined by the facility, not NHRA.

In most cases you will be able to drive to and from your imaging appointment. In certain cases where an invasive procedure is performed, or if we use medication to calm a patient, you may not be able to drive after your exam. It is always best to check with your personal physician or the hospital/imaging center BEFORE you arrive if you have any questions regarding this issue.

Screening mammography is a tool used to detect early breast cancer in otherwise asymptomatic women. Diagnostic mammography is used to evaluate a patient with abnormal clinical findings such as a breast lump, breast pain, or nipple discharge. Diagnostic mammography may also be needed if an area of concern is identified on a screening mammogram.

Almost every major organization that publishes guidelines for breast cancer diagnosis recommends annual screening mammography starting at age 40 (including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the American Cancer Society (ACS), the American Medical Association (AMA) and the American College of Radiology (ACR). Research has shown that annual mammograms lead to early detection of breast cancers, often two years or more before a patient or physician can feel them, when they are most curable and breast-conservation therapies are available.

Women who have had breast cancer and those who are at increased risk due to a family history should seek expert medical advice about whether they should begin screening before age 40 and about the frequency of screening. In addition, some women with particularly high risk should talk to their doctor or breast specialist about whether they should consider a Screening Breast MRI.

Digital mammography has been shown to be significantly better in screening women who are under 50 years of age, who have heterogeneously dense or very dense breast tissue, and who are pre- or peri-menopausal (women who have had a menstrual period within 12 months of their mammogram). Digital mammograms also deliver less radiation, are easier to access, transmit, and store for future comparison. All of the sites where NHRA radiologists interpret images use digital mammography.