How can X-ray dealers use financing to sell more DR upgrades?

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Why are practices still moving from CR and film to DR?

Because Medicare pays less for X-rays taken on CR or film, and because a DR panel puts the image on screen seconds after the exposure. The Vieworks VIVIX-S 1417N, for one, shows a preview in about 2 seconds, according to its seller’s listing. CR still runs every image through a cassette with an imaging plate that has to be read.

So go through your accounts. You’re looking for urgent care, orthopedic, podiatry and primary care practices and imaging centers that still run a CR reader, a film processor or an older portable. Each of them is a DR prospect with a reason to buy this year.

Rooms that went DR early aren’t off the list, either. A tethered panel or an aging first-generation detector can be replaced, or joined by a second wireless panel, while the rest of the room stays put.

One group to leave out of this pitch: chiropractic offices. Medicare doesn’t pay for X-rays a DC orders, takes or interprets, so the cut never touches their claims. With DCs I’d sell DR on workflow. Our chiropractic dealer guide covers those deals, and application-only there goes up to about $75,000 for most established practices ($50,000 under two years in business).

How much does Medicare cut for X-rays taken on CR or film?

Medicare cuts the technical component of an X-ray taken on CR by 10% and one taken on film by 20%. Both cuts come from the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016, and CMS lays them out in Chapter 13 of its Claims Processing Manual:

• Film: 20% off the technical component, including the technical part of a global fee, since January 1, 2017. Claims carry modifier FX.
• CR: 7% off from 2018 through 2022, then 10% from 2023 on. Claims carry modifier FY. CMS defines CR as cassette-based imaging that uses an imaging plate.
• Hospital outpatient X-rays: the law applies the same 20% and 10% cuts under Medicare’s outpatient payment system.

The math is simple. For every $10,000 Medicare would pay for the technical component of X-rays taken on DR, the same exams bring in $9,000 on CR and $8,000 on film. And the CR cut doesn’t expire. The law sets it at 10% for 2023 and every year after.

Want the practice’s real number? Ask the office manager how much of last year’s Medicare X-ray billing went out with an FY or FX modifier. That’s the volume taking the cut.

What does a DR retrofit, panel or room cost in 2026?

The U.S. listings we checked in October 2026 put 14x17 wireless DR panels and retrofit packages at about $20,700 to $35,300, a complete DR room at $53,500, and portable DR at $64,500 for a rebuilt GE unit up to $161,295 for a Fujifilm FDR Go. What’s included varies a lot, so read each listing closely:

Listed prices checked October 16, 2026, rounded to the dollar, from Maven Imaging (Aliso Viejo, Calif.), Proximus Medical (Fishers, Ind.) and a DOTmed listing by American Medical Sales. These are listed asking prices, not appraisals or offers, and Five West has no affiliation with these sellers. Payments are examples for established businesses only: an assumed 6.75%, nothing down, payments in arrears. Refurbished equipment is financed on a term matched to its remaining service life and warranty. Illustrative, not a quote or an offer.

Complete DR rooms run roughly $45,000 to $190,000 by tier, according to our imaging center cost guide, so the Del Medical room sits near the entry level.

Used equipment can list for much less. In October a Georgia dealer listed a 2017 Konica Minolta AeroDR system with its workstation, interface box and charger at $13,999 on DOTmed, and a 2017 Fujifilm FDR Go portable with a D-EVO panel at $19,000. That AeroDR system is just under our usual minimum of about $15,000, so adding the installation, a service contract or a second panel to the same agreement can get it there. Our refurbished X-ray dealer guide covers used deals in more detail.

What does a DR upgrade cost a month?

For an established practice at an assumed 6.75% with nothing down, a $35,000 DR retrofit is about $689 a month over 60 months. A $110,000 DR room is about $2,165 a month over 60 months, or $1,647 over 84.

Then put the payment next to the cut. Ask what Medicare paid the practice for X-ray technical components last year. On CR, every $9,000 it collected would’ve been $10,000 on DR. On film, every $8,000 would’ve been $10,000. Run that with the practice’s own number and set it beside the payment.

Longer terms lower the payment but add interest. Going from 60 to 84 months on the $110,000 room saves about $518 a month and adds about $8,400 in interest. Rooms and retrofits stay in service for years, so I’m fine with 60 or 84 months there. I’d keep a panel the practice may replace sooner on a shorter term.

Two program features help, too. Site preparation, shielding, installation and service contracts can go on the same agreement on qualifying transactions, so the practice sees one payment for the whole project. And on qualifying deals, payments can be deferred or set seasonally to match revenue.

Should a practice own its DR upgrade or lease it?

Own it, in most cases. X-ray rooms and retrofits last, so most owners finance and keep them on an equipment finance agreement, and a fair market value lease can fit panels and software they’ll want to replace. Here’s how the structures compare:

• Equipment finance agreement (EFA): 24 to 84 months, and the practice owns the equipment from day one.
• $1 buyout lease: 24 to 60 months, and it’s theirs for a dollar at the end. A 10 percent buyout lowers the payment a little and sets the purchase price up front.
• Fair market value (FMV) lease: 24 to 60 months with a lower payment. At the end the practice can buy the equipment at market value, hand it back or move to newer equipment.

I’d put the room and the retrofit on an EFA. They’ll be in service for years, and owning them means they can count for Section 179 like a cash purchase. With a second panel, it’s a closer call. If the practice expects to want a newer detector in a few years, an FMV lease makes that move easier.

Refurbished equipment works the same way, with the term matched to its remaining service life and warranty. Our guide to leasing or buying imaging equipment goes modality by modality.

Can a DR upgrade count for Section 179 this year?

Yes, if it’s installed and ready to use by December 31, 2026. The IRS treats equipment as placed in service when it’s ready and available for its specific use, so a system that’s delivered in December but not installed and working until January counts next year.

On an EFA or a $1 buyout lease, the practice generally deducts the equipment like a cash purchase. For 2026 the Section 179 limit is $2,560,000, reduced dollar for dollar once more than $4,090,000 of equipment is placed in service, and bonus depreciation is 100 percent for property acquired after January 19, 2025. New and used equipment both qualify. On an FMV lease the funder owns the equipment, so the practice deducts the payments as rent.

For you, it’s mostly a scheduling job. Get the approval before you book the install, and put the install date on the order. Your reps can say the upgrade may qualify, and the practice’s CPA decides what it’s worth. Our Section 179 playbook for dealers has wording your reps can use.

How do X-ray dealers put a payment on every DR quote?

Print an estimated monthly payment under the price on every DR quote, with the Medicare cut on the line next to it. Your rep shouldn’t have to do math in front of the practice. Here’s what those lines can sound like:

• To a CR practice: “Medicare pays you 10% less on the technical component of every X-ray you take on CR. This retrofit is $35,000, or about $689 a month over 60 months, estimated and subject to credit approval.”
• To a film office: “Medicare has paid 20% less on the technical component of film X-rays since 2017. The new room is $110,000, about $2,165 a month over 60 months, estimated and subject to credit approval.”
• On a second panel: “Another wireless panel is $24,950, about $768 a month over 36 months, estimated and subject to credit approval.”

Three tools do the work. The Quote Builder turns a price and a term into a payment on an EFA or a lease, with no credit pull. Our partner widgets put a payment estimate, an apply button or a full financing page on your site with one short snippet. And when the practice says yes, Submit App in the Partner Portal takes about a minute for the basics, with no documents and no SSN. The Partner Portal demo shows how you follow each deal from your phone.

After that, it’s quick. The application starts with a soft credit inquiry, and most get a first response within 1 to 2 business hours. Clean application-only files can be approved in as little as 30 minutes, and many programs start around a 600 FICO for established businesses. If a deal won’t work, we’ll tell you early. When it funds, you’re paid 100% of the invoice after the practice signs and the equipment is delivered and accepted.

One caution: don’t put a payment on quotes for practices under two years old. Their pricing depends on the full file. A practice in its first year is underwritten as a startup, which typically means 700+ personal credit, relevant experience, a down payment and working capital left after the purchase. Our startup equipment financing guide explains it, and there are more rep scripts in our guide to quoting a monthly payment.

Which partner tier fits an X-ray dealer?

It’s the one that matches your monthly application volume. All three are free, with no setup fee, no monthly fee and no application fee for your customers, and each one starts with a 90-day trial.

Volume counts what practices apply for, whether or not every deal funds. Moving up a tier doesn’t restart anything, and plenty of partners start on 3rd Party. Our partner tier comparison goes through all three, and our imaging dealer guide covers CT, MRI and the rest of an imaging line. The full imaging program is on our imaging equipment financing page.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a DR retrofit cost?

U.S. listings we checked in October 2026 put 14x17 wireless DR panels and retrofit packages at about $20,700 to $35,300, depending on the brand and on whether software, a workstation or installation is included. A complete DR room listed at $53,500, and DR rooms generally run about $45,000 to $190,000 by tier. Used panels can list for less.

How much does Medicare cut for X-rays taken on CR?

Medicare has cut the technical component of X-rays taken with computed radiography by 10% since 2023, after a 7% cut from 2018 through 2022, under the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016. Those claims carry modifier FY. X-rays taken on film have been cut 20% since 2017, with modifier FX. Hospital outpatient X-rays take the same cuts.

What is the monthly payment on a DR X-ray room?

For an established practice at an assumed 6.75% with nothing down, a $110,000 DR room is about $2,165 a month over 60 months, or about $1,647 over 84 months. A $35,000 DR retrofit is about $689 a month over 60 months. Actual payments depend on credit approval, the equipment and the term.

Should a practice lease or finance a DR panel?

Rooms and retrofits are usually financed and owned on an equipment finance agreement of 24 to 84 months. A fair market value lease of 24 to 60 months can fit a panel or software the practice expects to replace, with a lower payment and the option to buy, return or upgrade at the end.

Does a DR upgrade qualify for Section 179 in 2026?

Usually, if it’s installed and ready to use by December 31, 2026. Equipment on an equipment finance agreement or a $1 buyout lease is generally deducted like a cash purchase, up to the 2026 limit of $2,560,000. On a fair market value lease the payments are deducted as rent. The practice’s CPA should confirm.

Does a practice need financial statements to finance a DR upgrade?

Usually not. Application-only decisions go up to $500,000 on qualifying files, which covers most DR retrofits and rooms. The application starts with a soft credit inquiry, most get a first response within 1 to 2 business hours, and clean application-only files can be approved in as little as 30 minutes.

What does it cost an X-ray dealer to offer financing?

Nothing. All three Five West partner tiers are free, with no setup fee, no monthly fee and no application fee for your customers. 3rd Party Financing has no minimum volume. Co-Branded asks for about $100,000 a month in applications and one funded deal a quarter, and Private Label about $500,000 a month.

When does the dealer get paid on a financed DR sale?

When the deal funds. Five West pays 100% of the invoice after the practice signs and the equipment is delivered and accepted. Where the equipment needs a deposit, deposit funding can be released once documents are signed.

Keep reading

More for X-ray and imaging dealers: quoting, partner tiers, year-end taxes and what imaging equipment costs.

Vendor financingHow to quote a monthly paymentThe quick payment math and rep scripts for the moments that stall a deal. Partner programsPrivate label vs. co-branded vs. referralWhich free tier fits your monthly application volume. Vendor financingOffering financing on your websitePayment estimates and an apply button where buyers already shop. Tax strategySection 179 playbook for dealersBringing up the deduction and protecting the December install. ImagingLease or buy imaging equipment?Which systems to own and which to lease, with the tax trade-off. Cost guideImaging center equipment costsMRI, CT, X-ray, ultrasound and mammography, priced new and refurbished.

On the siteImaging equipment financingPartner programsPartner widgetsPartner Portal demoPartner application

This article is general information about financing DR upgrades sold by X-ray dealers, not tax, legal, reimbursement or accounting advice or a commitment to finance. Prices shown are sellers’ listed asking prices, not appraisals or offers. Medicare payment rules change, so check CMS’s current guidance before relying on them. Tax and accounting treatment depends on the contract and the business; confirm with a CPA. All financing is subject to credit approval and underwriting.