How can you get approved for imaging equipment financing before RSNA 2026?

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When and where is RSNA 2026?

RSNA 2026 runs Sunday, Nov. 29, through Thursday, Dec. 3, at McCormick Place, 2301 S. Martin Luther King Dr. in Chicago. It’s the Radiological Society of North America’s 112th Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, themed “At the Center of Care.”

Programming starts at 9 a.m. Central time on Nov. 29 and ends at 4 p.m. on Dec. 3. The Technical Exhibits close a day earlier. They’re open Nov. 29 through Dec. 2, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT, in North Hall B and South Hall A, more than 421,000 square feet in all.

• Registration: in-person registration stays open through Dec. 3. RSNA’s pricing page lists a non-member Technical Exhibits Only badge at $730 for physicians, executives and industry staff. Non-member technologists and radiology department managers get exhibit access with $600 In Person Only registration. RSNA says prices can change.
• Hotels: you can book through RSNA’s hotel page until Nov. 11, with free shuttles between the official hotels and McCormick Place.
• Floor plan and exhibitor list: both are in Meeting Central, linked from rsna.org, where you can sort the exhibitor list by category and product.

Five West will have people at RSNA this year. If you’d like to meet while you’re in Chicago, email support@fivewestfinancial.com and we’ll set up a time.

AuntMinnie reported that RSNA 2025 drew nearly 38,000 registrants and 720 exhibitors. Reading this after the show? RSNA 2027 moves two weeks earlier, to Nov. 14 to 18, 2027.

What will be on the RSNA 2026 show floor?

Equipment, software and services from more than 700 companies, over 120 of them first-time exhibitors, as of RSNA’s Oct. 6 update. On Oct. 16 the exhibitor list included GE HealthCare, Siemens Healthineers, Philips, Canon Medical, Fujifilm, Hologic, Carestream, Konica Minolta, Samsung and United Imaging, plus independent refurbishers.

There’s a lot of AI on the floor. The AI Showcase in the South Hall covers 52,000 square feet, and more than 100 companies plan to demo AI and machine learning tools there or at their booths. New this year, Innovation Park in the South Hall houses the Startup Showcase, an Innovation Theater and a Solutions Gallery.

Plenty of the people in those aisles are buyers. RSNA tells exhibitors that 79% of attendees have a role in purchasing.

Our medical imaging equipment financing covers a lot of what you’ll see there: MRI, CT, ultrasound, digital X-ray and DR retrofits, C-arms and fluoroscopy, CBCT, mammography, and PACS and imaging IT. New or refurbished, deals run from a usual minimum of about $15,000 to $5 million and above.

Why get approved for imaging equipment financing before RSNA?

So you’re shopping with a budget you already know, and you can act on a quote when you find the right system.

• You know your number. With an approval and an example payment in hand, you can compare a new system with a refurbished one by what each costs every month.
• You can move on a quote. The approval’s in place, so you just send the seller’s final quote. If the system, price or seller changed, the approval is updated before you sign.
• You’ll know which file you need. Qualifying deals up to $500,000 can be decided on the application alone. Most new CT, MRI and PET/CT run past that.
• Your credit score won’t move. The application starts with a soft credit inquiry.

If a CT, MRI or PET/CT is on your list, I’d start the full financial package now, before you’re comparing quotes. The documents are below.

Can you finance refurbished imaging equipment?

Yes. Refurbished systems from the OEM or an established refurbisher are financed regularly, with the term matched to the system’s remaining service life and warranty. The term can’t outrun the equipment’s remaining useful life, so a refurbished system is often written on a shorter term than a new one. If it comes in under $500,000, it can stay application-only on a qualifying file.

Three big makers sell refurbished systems under their own names:

• GE HealthCare GoldSeal: refurbished CT, MRI, mammography, ultrasound, C-arms, PET/CT and more. GE says GoldSeal CT comes with a one-year warranty that includes the tube.
• Siemens Healthineers ecoline: refurbished systems built by the same teams in the same factories as its new ones.
• Philips Circular Edition: refurbished MRI, CT, ultrasound and C-arm systems that Philips says carry the same warranty and service performance levels as new.

Independent refurbishers are on the RSNA exhibitor list too. Whoever you’re buying from, get these answers in writing:

• Warranty: how long it runs, whether it covers parts and labor, and what it leaves out. On a CT, ask if the tube’s covered.
• Service and parts: who services it after the warranty, and whether you can get a service contract and at what price.
• End of support: whether the maker has announced an end-of-support date for the platform or its software.
• History: the service history and the current software version.
• Install scope: who de-installs, ships, installs and calibrates it, and whether applications training is included. For an X-ray room, ask who files the FDA report of assembly (Form FDA 2579), which the installer has to send you within 15 days of finishing the installation.

Send those answers with the quote, since the warranty and support dates help set the term. Our refurbished MRI and CT guide goes further into certifications and warranties.

What does imaging equipment cost a month?

For an established business at an assumed 6.75% with nothing down, the examples below run from about $524 to about $11,810 a month.

Established businesses only: an assumed 6.75%, nothing down, payments in arrears. “Example” prices are Five West examples, not market quotes. “Listed” prices are what reLink Medical, a U.S. seller, listed for refurbished units on October 16, 2026: asking prices, not appraisals or offers. Terms past 60 months are equipment finance agreements, and refurbished terms are matched to each system’s remaining service life and warranty. These examples don’t apply to startups or businesses under two years. Illustrative, not an offer. Five West has no affiliation with these makers or sellers.

On the $110,000 X-ray room, going from 60 to 84 months lowers the payment by about $518 a month and adds about $8,400 in interest.

I’d save the longer terms for equipment you’ll keep for years, like X-ray rooms, retrofits, MRI magnets and ultrasound, which owners usually finance and keep. CT, and often DR panels and software, can fit a fair market value lease instead, with a lower payment over 24 to 60 months and an upgrade path at the end.

Can site prep, shielding and installation go on the same agreement?

Yes, on qualifying transactions. Site preparation, shielding, installation and the service contract can go on the same agreement as the system, so the room and the equipment share one payment. That’s most useful on an MRI, where the room work (shielding, power and cooling) can add a lot to the bill.

Ask each seller to list the system, installation, site work and service contract separately, then send us the whole quote. Smaller items can go on one contract to reach our usual minimum of about $15,000.

Can you finance AI and PACS software?

Yes. PACS and imaging IT are part of our imaging financing, and AI and PACS software works the way our software financing page describes. The license, implementation and training go on one agreement, and multi-year license bundles can be financed. If a tool is sold as a subscription, the financing covers the project around it, plus a multi-year license bundle if the vendor sells one.

If you’re comparing AI tools in the Showcase, I’d ask each vendor for a proposal that lists the license, implementation and training separately.

Will equipment bought at RSNA count for Section 179 in 2026?

Only if it’s placed in service by December 31, 2026. The IRS treats equipment as placed in service when it’s ready and available for its specific use. In its own example, a machine delivered one year but not installed and running until the next counts in the later year. RSNA’s exhibits close Dec. 2, which leaves about four weeks.

Financing doesn’t shrink the deduction. On an equipment finance agreement or a $1 buyout lease, a system placed in service by December 31 can be deducted like a cash purchase. The 2026 Section 179 limit is $2,560,000, phasing out once purchases pass $4,090,000, and bonus depreciation is 100 percent for qualifying property acquired after January 19, 2025. New and used equipment both qualify, refurbished included. On a fair market value lease, you deduct the payments as rent instead.

Before you sign, get delivery and install dates in writing, and make sure the room will be ready when the system arrives. Our Section 179 calculator gives a rough estimate, and your CPA should confirm how it applies to you.

What do you need to apply before the show?

A short application and the best quote you have, even a budget quote. What else you’ll need depends on the size of the deal:

• Up to $500,000: on a qualifying file, the application and the equipment quote are enough, with no tax returns or financial statements.
• Over $500,000: that’s where most new CT, MRI and PET/CT land. Expect full underwriting with two years of tax returns, interim financials, bank statements, a debt schedule and a personal financial statement for each guarantor.
• Credit and time in business: many programs for established businesses start around a 600 FICO, and two or more years in business opens the broadest set of programs.
• Timing: it starts with a soft credit inquiry, and you’ll typically get a first response within 1 to 2 business hours. Clean application-only files can be approved in as little as 30 minutes, and funding can follow in as little as 24 to 48 hours after signing.

At the show, run each quote through the Quote Builder, then send us the final quote once you’ve picked a system. Our imaging loan requirements guide covers the full package.

Can a new imaging center get financing?

Yes, though it’s a different kind of file. A business under a year old is underwritten as a startup, which typically means:

• Personal credit of 700 or better.
• Relevant industry experience, such as years managing an imaging center or practicing radiology.
• Working capital left after the purchase.
• Usually a down payment.

Between one and two years in business, fewer programs are open, but deals stay workable. A new center’s pricing comes from its own file, so the payment examples above don’t apply. Our guide to startup equipment financing covers what those programs look for.

If I were opening a center, I’d keep cash on hand for the ramp-up rather than put every dollar into equipment.

Frequently asked questions

When is RSNA 2026?

RSNA 2026 runs Sunday, Nov. 29, through Thursday, Dec. 3, 2026, at McCormick Place in Chicago. The Technical Exhibits are open Nov. 29 through Dec. 2, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central time, in North Hall B and South Hall A. It’s RSNA’s 112th Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, and the theme is “At the Center of Care.”

How much does it cost to attend RSNA 2026?

It depends on membership and badge type. RSNA’s pricing page lists a Technical Exhibits Only badge at $730 for non-member physicians, executives and industry staff. Non-member technologists and radiology department managers get exhibit access with $600 In Person Only registration, and member rates depend on the membership package. In-person registration stays open through Dec. 3, 2026, and RSNA says prices can change.

Can you get approved for imaging equipment financing before RSNA?

Yes. Apply with the best quote you have. At Five West the application starts with a soft credit inquiry, you’ll typically get a first response within 1 to 2 business hours, and qualifying deals up to $500,000 can be decided on the application alone. CT, MRI and PET/CT purchases above that usually need two years of tax returns, interim financials, bank statements, a debt schedule and a personal financial statement for each guarantor.

Can you finance refurbished imaging equipment?

Yes. Refurbished systems from the OEM or an established refurbisher are financed regularly, with the term matched to the system’s remaining service life and warranty. Before you buy, you’ll want the warranty, service and parts support, any announced end-of-support date and the install scope in writing. If a refurbished system comes in under $500,000, it can stay application-only on a qualifying file.

What’s the monthly payment on a refurbished CT scanner?

As an example for an established business at an assumed 6.75% with nothing down, a $250,000 refurbished CT is about $4,921 a month over 60 months or $3,743 over 84 months. A $600,000 refurbished 1.5T MRI is about $8,982 a month over 84 months, and since it’s over $500,000, it needs a full financial package. Actual payments depend on credit approval, the equipment and the term.

Does imaging equipment bought at RSNA qualify for Section 179?

It can, if it’s placed in service by December 31, 2026, meaning delivered, installed and ready to use. The 2026 limit is $2,560,000, phasing out above $4,090,000 of purchases, and bonus depreciation is 100 percent for qualifying property acquired after January 19, 2025. New and used equipment both qualify. On an equipment finance agreement or a $1 buyout lease, the system can be deducted like a cash purchase. Confirm with your CPA.

Can AI software for radiology be financed?

Yes. The license, implementation and training can go on one agreement, and multi-year license bundles can be financed. If it’s sold as a subscription, financing covers the project around it, plus a multi-year license bundle if the vendor sells one. PACS and imaging IT can be financed too.

Can a new imaging center get equipment financing?

Yes, selectively. If it’s under a year old, the business is underwritten as a startup, which typically means 700+ personal credit, relevant industry experience, working capital left after the purchase and usually a down payment. Between one and two years in business, fewer programs are open, but deals stay workable.

Keep reading

More for imaging centers and practices: refurbished systems, costs, taxes, lease or buy, and startups.

RefurbishedRefurbished MRI and CT financingCertification, warranty and support questions to settle before you buy. Cost guideWhat imaging equipment costsMRI, CT, X-ray, ultrasound and mammography, new and refurbished. Tax strategySection 179 for imaging equipmentThe 2026 limits and bonus depreciation on imaging purchases. Lease vs. buyLease or buy an MRIWhen to own a system and when a fair market value lease fits. Application prepImaging loan requirementsWhere application-only ends and the full financial package starts. StartupsStartup equipment financingThe credit, experience and cash startup programs look for.

On the siteMedical imaging financingEquipment financeSection 179 calculatorQualification guidelines

This article is general information about financing imaging equipment bought at or around RSNA 2026, not tax, legal, or accounting advice or a commitment to finance. Show details come from RSNA and can change. Prices shown are a seller’s listed asking prices and Five West example prices, not appraisals or offers, and payments are illustrative examples at an assumed rate. Tax and accounting treatment depends on your contract and your business; confirm with your CPA. All financing is subject to credit approval and underwriting.