The short answer is no: you can’t just walk into an imaging center in Missouri and ask for a scan. An MRI is a medical procedure, and like most states, Missouri requires a licensed clinician to order it before a facility will perform it. We require one too. But getting that order is usually easier than people expect, and there are a few ways to do it fast.
Why the Order Exists
It’s not paperwork for its own sake. Once our radiologist reads your images, they’re responsible for what’s in that report — and if there’s a finding, someone has to be on record to receive it, explain what it means, and decide what happens next. That’s not us; by design, it’s the provider who ordered the scan. The order is what puts a name on that responsibility before you’re ever in the scanner.
It also tells us exactly what to image — which body part, which side, and which protocol — so the study actually answers the question your provider is asking. Medicare and most insurance plans require an order for the same underlying reason: an MRI without a treating clinician attached to it is a scan with no one accountable for what it finds.
That’s the one thing you need before you book. If you show up without an order, we can’t run the study.
Who Can Write the Order
You have more options than you might think. In Missouri, any of these can write an MRI order:
- A physician (MD or DO)
- A nurse practitioner (NP)
- A physician assistant (PA)
- A chiropractor (DC)
- A physical therapist (DPT or PT)
So if your primary care doctor’s office is hard to reach, your physical therapist or chiropractor can often write the order if the imaging is appropriate to your treatment. That’s a real option, not a loophole.
The Fastest Ways to Get One
If you don’t have a provider who can write the order yet, urgent care is the most common route. You can often walk in, explain your symptoms, and leave with a signed order the same day. Telehealth is another one — several telehealth services will evaluate you and send an order to a facility you choose. Both of those are legitimate paths when you don’t have an established relationship with a treating provider.
The most direct route is to use our printable order form. Print it, hand it to whichever clinician is treating you, and have them fill it out and sign it. It’s a clean one-page form with no extra clutter, and it makes the whole process obvious for your provider.
How to Send It to Us
Once the order is signed, you have three ways to get it to us. Fax it to (314) 804-7226, email it to Sunset@moimaging.com, or simply bring the printed copy when you arrive. We’ll confirm we received it, and then you can book.
What to Tell the Person Writing the Order
A few details make the difference between an order that’s right the first time and one that needs correcting. Describe your symptoms plainly: where the pain or problem is, how long it’s been going on, what makes it better or worse, and whether anything radiates — like pain that travels down the leg. That’s the information that determines which body part gets imaged and which protocol is used. If you’ve had prior imaging, bring it along; a radiologist can compare old and new images, which matters more than most people expect. And if you’re not sure the order matches your symptoms, ask the clinician to explain what they’re looking for before you leave the office. It’s a two-minute conversation that can save a second trip.
What Happens After the Order Arrives
Once the order is in our hands, booking takes minutes. There’s no insurance verification call ahead of time, because there’s no insurance billing to verify — the order arrives, we confirm the study, and you pick a time. The full walkthrough, including each step, lives on our how to get an MRI order page. Call us at (314) 834-7226 and same-day appointments are often available.