Short answer: Compare I-MED, Lumus Imaging, Qscan and Capital Radiology by the clinic that can perform your requested scan, its appointment options and your quoted cost. There is no single fee shared by every branch or examination. A logo on your referral does not remove your choice of imaging clinic. Use the comparison below to make a shortlist, then send the same referral to each clinic for a useful comparison.
Last updated September 2026
A referral tells you what scan your doctor wants. It rarely tells you whether the clinic down the road has a suitable appointment or what you will pay. Start with those questions. The familiar brand name is only part of the decision.
How do I-MED, Lumus, Qscan and Capital differ?
These are summaries of each group’s published patient information, checked on 8 September 2026. A billing policy helps you decide what to ask. It is not a quote for your scan.
| Clinic group | Booking route | Published billing position |
|---|---|---|
| I-MED Radiology | Choose online times and locations for most examinations. Some complex procedures need a call. | Mixed billing. The estimate is given at booking or in a follow-up call; referral review can change it. |
| Lumus Imaging | The website has a booking enquiry entry by state. | Bulk billing for selected patients and services, including concessions at participating sites. The referral determines the estimate. |
| Qscan | Online times or a callback, depending on the clinic and scan. | The booking system shows an estimated cost. The team confirms bulk-billing eligibility and any gap before confirming the appointment. |
| Capital Radiology | Request an appointment through the clinic. Its patient FAQ lists walk-in X-ray and dental imaging. | Generally bulk bills, with exceptions for some scans and procedures. |
Mixed billing means some appointments involve a patient payment alongside a Medicare rebate. A bulk-billed service has no patient charge. Do not assume that a clinic which bulk bills one examination will bulk bill another.
Which should you choose?
I-MED vs Lumus Imaging
If fitting a scan around work is the priority, I-MED’s online time selection gives you a starting point. For a concession card holder, Lumus’s selected bulk-billing arrangements may be more relevant. The choice turns on the offer at each nearby branch, including what you pay before receiving a rebate.
Qscan vs I-MED or Lumus
Qscan distinguishes online appointments from callback requests. That distinction helps when you need to plan time away from work or arrange transport. Its team may need to review a complex examination before offering a slot. If your doctor specifies an urgent timeframe, Qscan advises calling the clinic when a suitable time is not available online.
Capital Radiology vs I-MED or Lumus
Capital generally bulk bills, but its policy describes exceptions, including some interventional procedures. That is a reason to include it in a local price comparison, rather than assume its general policy applies to a particular injection or specialised scan.
Compare the examination, too. “Ultrasound” covers many different appointments. The useful question is whether a clinic can perform the examination on your referral, rather than whether it has an ultrasound machine.
Where can you compare clinics near you?
A national brand comparison becomes useful when you have local alternatives. These shortlists show clinic addresses and contact details for the selected scan:
- CT scan clinics in Frankston: street addresses and clinic contacts.
- MRI clinics in Dandenong: local MRI options.
- Ultrasound clinics in Chatswood: clinic locations and visit details.
- X-ray clinics in Penrith: X-ray locations and contact details.
- Ultrasound clinics in Footscray: local branches and visit information.
For example, I-MED Frankston at 19 Hastings Road lists CT. Its clinic page also lists walk-in diagnostic CT.
I-MED Chatswood at 38B Albert Avenue lists ultrasound. Its clinic page includes Saturday ultrasound by appointment.
These examples were checked on 8 September 2026. They illustrate booking differences, not a recommendation or a complete list. The directory does not show live prices or waiting times.
How do local brands compare in Queensland, Adelaide and Perth?
Qscan vs Queensland X-Ray
Queensland X-Ray’s billing policy says the chosen practice affects fees and describes concession arrangements with exceptions. Qscan also ties eligibility to the scan, referral and participating clinic. Queensland X-Ray separates hospital admission billing from ordinary outpatient bookings, so those offers need separate comparisons.
Jones Radiology vs Benson Radiology
Jones uses mixed billing and asks online bookers to call if they want a fee estimate. Benson says gaps vary by examination and location. Both publish concession information. A friend’s payment for a different scan is not a reliable quote for yours.
SKG Radiology vs Perth Radiological Clinic
Perth Radiological Clinic distinguishes selected no-gap services from appointments with a gap. It also lists early-access MRI appointments with a gap. The appointment type is therefore part of the price comparison. SKG advertises bulk billing for Medicare-rebatable outpatient services, with exceptions. It also describes private fees and concession arrangements. The exception for your requested examination is the useful point to establish when comparing it with PRC.
Independent practices can also be useful local alternatives. The size of a clinic group does not establish which appointment best meets your needs.
Can you take a branded referral elsewhere?
Yes. Services Australia confirms you can choose another imaging clinic if it offers the scan you need, even when your doctor gives you a form bearing a particular brand.
If your doctor selected a particular site for a specialised examination or coordinated hospital care, discuss the change with them. Tell the new clinic where you had previous scans and ask how to make those images available. Also check which doctor will receive the report.
What should you ask before booking?
The full fee, Medicare rebate and final gap are different amounts. For example, I-MED requires full payment when a gap applies and processes an eligible rebate separately. A small final gap can still mean a larger payment on the day. Its payment guidance explains the arrangement.
“I have a referral for this examination. Can you review it and tell me the full fee, expected rebate and remaining cost? Can I attend as an outpatient, and what is the earliest suitable appointment? Is that appointment confirmed, and what preparation do I need?”
If you need help getting onto the scanner, an interpreter, or support during the examination, explain that before selecting a time. Ask about the correct building entrance and parking.
For scan-specific questions, read our MRI and Medicare guide or ultrasound booking guide. Your Medicare eligibility needs its own check; a brand comparison cannot settle it.
Sources and methodology
We read the linked clinic booking and billing pages, plus Services Australia’s patient-choice guidance, on 8 September 2026. The local examples use current clinic pages and Imaging Finder records. We did not collect live quotes, compare diagnostic outcomes or measure waiting times. This guide therefore does not name a cheapest or best brand.
The clinic brand and ownership guide explains network relationships. Our imaging service comparison covers differences between scan types.
This article is general information, not personal medical advice. Discuss your individual report and next steps with the healthcare professional responsible for your care.
Author: Dr. Mark Bekhit
Dr Mark Bekhit (MBChB, FRANZCR) is a musculoskeletal radiologist practising in Brisbane and an AHPRA-registered specialist in diagnostic radiology (MED0002920947). He spends as much time building software as reading scans: he founded Imaging Finder (Australia) and Radiology Clinics NZ to make imaging easier to find, and builds radiology dictation and pain-tracking tools with one aim — better patient outcomes and a smoother reporting workflow. Outside the reading room he's usually training, bringing the same performance mindset to imaging.
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