Finance the 3T MRI Your Local Bank Keeps Declining

The Deal Most Banks Decline, Funded

A $2M outpatient 3T is exactly the request a local bank stalls on. We finance high-field MRI regularly and structure it around a real center, not a spreadsheet that assumes empty months.

Siting and Chiller in the Note

Siting can rival the magnet in cost and complexity. We can fund RF shielding, the quench pipe, cryogen, chiller, and floor prep alongside the scanner, so it is one project on one note.

Terms Built for Imaging Cash Flow

MRI throughput ramps as referrals and scheduling mature. We match the term and, where needed, a lighter start so the payment fits actual scan volume rather than a best-case assumption.

Section 179 on High-Field Equipment

A 3T MRI is major qualifying equipment. The first-year deduction can be significant on a seven-figure asset. Plan the timing with your CPA so the deduction lands in the right year.

With high-field MRI, the sticker price is only the first line of the budget. New 3 Tesla systems run roughly $1,000,000 to $3,000,000 before siting. A Siemens MAGNETOM Vida, built on the BioMatrix platform with modern lightweight coils, typically lands in the $2.0M to $2.8M range configured. The GE SIGNA Premier, with AIR coil technology and deep-learning reconstruction, sits in a similar band. Certified refurbished 3T systems, including the Siemens MAGNETOM Skyra, open high-field imaging around $1.3M to $1.8M.

Siting is the cost owners underestimate. A 3T install needs an RF-shielded room, a quench pipe routed to vent helium outside safely, cryogen and a cold head, a chiller loop, reinforced floor loading for the magnet's weight, and careful mapping of the 5-gauss line so it does not cross occupied space. Add rigging, sometimes a crane or a wall removal to bring the magnet in, plus the acquisition room and power. Siting frequently adds $300,000 to $700,000. We finance the scanner and the siting together so it is one project. A realistic all-in for a new outpatient 3T often runs $2.3M to $3.2M.

High-field MRI earns on both quality and volume. 3T doubles the field strength of 1.5T, which raises signal-to-noise and supports the thin-slice neuro and musculoskeletal imaging that referring neurologists and orthopedic surgeons want: fine cartilage detail, small disc pathology, subtle demyelination, and high-resolution brain work. That image quality is what pulls referrals to your center rather than the hospital across town. Per-study MRI reimbursement across brain, spine, and joint protocols, run against a schedule that can turn 12 to 20 scans a day at capacity, builds into strong monthly revenue. Faster protocols and deep-learning reconstruction on current systems protect throughput, which is what actually services a seven-figure note.

On tax, a 3T MRI is major Section 179-eligible equipment. Under the 2025 tax law the Section 179 cap rose to $2,500,000 with 100% bonus depreciation restored, so even a high-field system can often be substantially or fully expensed in the year it is placed in service, subject to the income and phase-out rules at that scale. On a $2.15M scanner, the first-year deduction can materially change the after-tax cost of ownership. Because placed-in-service timing and bonus depreciation interact in complex ways on a purchase this size, plan it with your CPA before you sign.

Recent 3T deals, including the siting most lenders will not touch:

• $2,150,000 Siemens MAGNETOM Vida, siting and chiller included, for a 6-year Phoenix, Arizona outpatient MRI center. Credit 736, 5.99% APR over 84 months, $175,000 down.
• $2,600,000 GE SIGNA Premier for an 11-year San Diego, California neuro imaging center. Credit 758, 5.74% APR over 84 months, $200,000 down.
• $1,480,000 certified refurbished Siemens MAGNETOM Skyra for an 8-year Kansas City, Missouri orthopedic group. Credit 719, 6.39% APR over 72 months, $150,000 down.
• $2,900,000 GE SIGNA Premier with full siting for a 16-year Denver, Colorado multispecialty imaging center. Credit 771, 5.49% APR over 84 months, $250,000 down.

The Phoenix deal is the one owners ask about most: the magnet, the RF shielding, the quench pipe, and the chiller all went on one note, so the center was not fighting an equipment loan against a separate construction line while the room was still being built.

A local bank sees a $2M outpatient MRI and gets nervous about the siting, the ramp, and the specialty. We see a center that will do 15 scans a day once it is open, and we structure to that.

How we build these:

• One-note project financing covering the magnet plus siting: shielding, quench pipe, cryogen, chiller, and floor prep.
• Deferred or lighter early payments, commonly 90 days or a step start, to cover the months of siting and ACR accreditation before the first billable scan.
• Progress funding during the buildout so money releases as the room comes together.
• $1 buyout for centers keeping the system long term, or FMV or operating lease for groups that refresh coils and software on a cycle.

We finance new and certified refurbished Siemens MAGNETOM and GE SIGNA systems and can include the full siting package. These are financials-based deals, so we can hand you an early structure to plan siting and lock the OEM quote against a known payment. All credit profiles are reviewed across more than 500 lenders, and we regularly fund the high-field deals that banks decline.

How much does a 3T MRI cost?

New 3 Tesla systems run roughly $1,000,000 to $3,000,000 before siting. A Siemens MAGNETOM Vida or GE SIGNA Premier fully configured typically lands in the $1.8M to $2.8M range, while certified refurbished 3T systems come in lower.

Why is siting so expensive?

A 3T magnet needs RF shielding (a Faraday cage), a quench pipe to vent helium safely, cryogen and a cold head, a chiller, reinforced floor loading, and careful placement of the 5-gauss line. Siting can add several hundred thousand dollars, which is why we finance it with the machine.

Do you finance refurbished 3T systems?

Yes. Certified refurbished Siemens MAGNETOM Skyra and Vida and GE systems fund regularly, and for many ortho and neuro centers they are the practical way into high-field imaging. Rates run modestly above new.

Does financing differ between 1.5T and 3T?

The structure is similar, but 3T carries higher equipment and siting costs, so the notes are larger and more often financials-based. The upside is the image quality neuro and MSK reading demands, which supports the volume that services the note.

What credit is needed?

Larger MRI deals are underwritten on center financials and time in operation as much as personal credit. Strong files earn rates from 5.49% APR, and we place challenged credit with lenders that weigh the imaging cash flow. All credit profiles are reviewed.

How long does approval take?

Expect several business days to a couple of weeks given the size and documentation. We can provide an early structure so you can plan siting and lock the equipment quote against a known payment.