In 2026, US teleradiology final reads typically cost about $10 to $15 for an X-ray, $30 to $50 for a CT, $45 to $75 for an MRI, $25 to $40 for a mammogram, and up to roughly $99 for a PET-CT, based on the small number of published rate sheets and industry surveys available. STAT interpretations usually carry a 20 to 50 percent premium over routine rates, and contract extras like monthly minimums and platform fees can move the effective price well beyond the quoted per-read figure. AstraRad prices every study per signed report, with no minimums, no subscriptions, and no platform fees, and sends a complete written rate card within one business day of a request.
This guide lays out the real market ranges by modality, explains how priority tiers change the price, and shows how to compare per-report pricing against contract-minimum models on total cost, not sticker price.
What does a teleradiology read cost in 2026?
Very few US teleradiology companies publish prices, so the honest answer is a range. The figures below reflect industry-typical rates gathered from the vendors that do publish numbers, market surveys, and reported contract terms. They are not AstraRad's prices; they are the market context you should carry into any vendor conversation.
| Modality | Industry-typical price per final read | What moves the price |
|---|---|---|
| CR X-ray | $10 to $15 | Volume commitments, single vs multiple views |
| Ultrasound | around $28 in published rate data | Body region, vascular vs general |
| Mammography | $25 to $40 | 2D vs tomosynthesis, MQSA-qualified reader supply |
| CT, single region | $30 to $50 | Contrast, subspecialty routing |
| MRI, single part | $45 to $75 | Neuro and MSK subspecialty demand |
| PET-CT | up to about $99 | Oncologic subspecialty interpretation time |
Multi-region CT, coronary CTA, advanced and cardiac MRI, and nuclear medicine studies generally price above their single-region counterparts because they take a subspecialist longer to interpret, though few vendors publish figures for them.
Two cautions when using this table. First, quoted per-read rates are the starting point, not the invoice: minimums, priority surcharges, and platform fees can push the effective cost well above the quoted figure. Second, the low end of each range often reflects preliminary reads or high-volume commitments, while final signed reports by fellowship-trained subspecialists sit toward the upper end.
Many buyers benchmark quotes against the Medicare professional component for each CPT code, published in the CMS Physician Fee Schedule. It is a useful floor reference, though teleradiology rates also price in 24/7 availability, subspecialty routing, and turnaround guarantees that the fee schedule does not capture.
How AstraRad prices reads
AstraRad uses one model for every client: a fixed price per signed report, set by study type and complexity, listed on a written rate card. There are no monthly minimums, no subscriptions, and no platform fees. Send one study a month or ten thousand; the per-report price is the price.
The rate card covers all twelve study types we read:
- CR X-ray
- Mammography
- Ultrasound
- CT single region
- CT double abdomen and pelvis
- CT special
- Coronary CTA
- MRI single part
- MRI advanced
- Cardiac MRI
- Nuclear medicine gamma
- PET-CT
Each study routes to one of 240 board-certified, fellowship-trained subspecialists covering neuro, MSK, body, cardiac, breast, pediatric, chest, ER, oncologic, and nuclear imaging. We read about 600,000 studies a year and currently hold headroom for 25,000 additional studies per month, so pricing does not shift with our capacity. Request the rate card through our contact page and it arrives within one business day. The pricing page explains the full model.
How priority tier changes the price
Every teleradiology vendor charges more for faster turnaround. The difference is whether the premium is a published number or a negotiation.
Industry practice is a STAT premium of 20 to 50 percent over routine rates, sometimes stacked with separate after-hours, weekend, or holiday surcharges. Those stacked surcharges are where quoted rates and invoiced rates diverge most.
AstraRad prints the priority multiplier on the rate card itself. One published factor, applied to the base per-report rate, tied to the SLA tier you select at submission:
| Tier | Turnaround commitment | Pricing |
|---|---|---|
| STAT | Under 1 hour | Base rate times the printed priority multiplier |
| Urgent | Under 4 hours | Base rate times the printed priority multiplier |
| Routine | Under 24 hours | Base rate |
There are no separate night, weekend, or holiday fees because coverage is 24/7/365 across 12 time zones; a STAT head CT at 3 a.m. Sunday costs the same as one at 2 p.m. Tuesday. Median STAT turnaround is currently 28 minutes, and SLA compliance is 99.4 percent over the trailing 12 months. The full commitment structure, including what happens when a deadline is missed, is documented on the SLA page. For emergency workflows specifically, see STAT CT reads.
What a per-report price should include
A per-read quote is only comparable if you know what is inside it. Ask every vendor to itemize these against the base rate:
- Final signed report. Some low quoted rates are for preliminary reads, with a second charge for the final interpretation.
- Subspecialty routing. Vendors may add a surcharge for neuro, MSK, or cardiac routing rather than general radiologist assignment.
- Critical results communication. Direct calls to the ordering clinician for critical findings are billed separately by some providers.
- Quality assurance. Peer review or double-read programs are often a paid add-on or absent entirely.
- Addenda and clarifications. Report corrections and clinician follow-up questions should not generate new charges.
- Platform and integration fees. PACS connection fees, per-facility charges, and portal licensing can add fixed monthly cost on top of per-read rates.
At AstraRad, the per-report price includes the final signed report, subspecialty routing, critical results communication, addenda, and QA. One in every 20 reports is independently double-read as standard, and our major discrepancy rate runs under 0.3 percent. Connectivity is included too: DICOM from your PACS or portal upload, with HL7 and FHIR report delivery, and no integration project or platform fee. For a full framework on comparing vendors beyond price, see how to choose a teleradiology company.
Per-report vs contract-minimum pricing: total cost
The cheapest quoted per-read rate is frequently the most expensive contract. Compare the two models on effective cost per read, which is total invoice divided by studies actually sent.
| Factor | Contract-minimum model | Per-report model |
|---|---|---|
| Base rate | Often lower on paper | Printed rate card price |
| Monthly minimum | You pay the minimum even in slow months | None; pay only for reads delivered |
| Platform or access fees | Common, fixed monthly | None |
| Volume dips | Effective per-read cost rises sharply | Effective cost equals the rate card |
| Volume spikes | Overage rates may apply | Same per-report price |
| Contract term | Often multi-year | No term commitment required |
The math matters most for variable volume. An imaging center committed to a 1,000-study monthly minimum that sends 700 studies in a slow month pays the full minimum, raising its effective rate about 43 percent above the quoted price for that month. Under per-report pricing, the July invoice for 700 studies is simply 700 times the rate card price. This is why practices using teleradiology for overflow coverage in particular should model total annual cost, not compare quoted rates.
Capacity flexibility works the same direction at high volume: an 8,000-study backlog clears in under 30 days at the same per-report rates, with no surge pricing. If you are weighing outsourced reads against hiring, the in-house vs outsourced cost comparison covers the full-employment side of the ledger, including recruiting, benefits, and subspecialty coverage gaps.
Why pricing transparency is rare, and why it matters
Most teleradiology companies price each contract individually and treat their rates as confidential negotiating material. The practical result for buyers: quotes arrive with different inclusions, different surcharge structures, and different minimums, and comparing them requires reverse-engineering each vendor's fine print.
A written rate card changes that. When the per-report price for every study type and the priority multiplier are on one page, you can compare vendors line by line and forecast spend from your own volume data. That is the standard we hold ourselves to: request a rate card here and receive the complete document, every study type and the multiplier included, within one business day. For MRI-heavy practices, MRI teleradiology details how subspecialty routing works for neuro, MSK, and cardiac studies.
The bottom line
Teleradiology in 2026 costs roughly $10 to $99 per read depending on modality, based on published industry rate data, with STAT premiums of 20 to 50 percent as the industry norm. The quoted rate is the beginning of the analysis, not the end: minimums, surcharges, and platform fees determine what you actually pay per read. Price any vendor on effective cost at your real volume, insist on itemized inclusions, and get the turnaround commitments in writing.
AstraRad's answer is one price per signed report, a printed priority multiplier, no minimums, no fees, and SLA terms in writing at 99.4 percent trailing compliance. Request your rate card and compare it against any quote on your desk.