Discussion: I have chronic pain, I went to my attending physician for an MRI, and he politely refused me, claiming there was no need.

MRI imaging is a costly test relative to alternatives (CT, ultrasound, and the like). Doctors keep the MRI test for several more urgent conditions, including cancer patients, fear of cancerous tumors, complex surgeries, and life-threatening situations. It inevitably means that many patients are refused an MRI even with comprehensive health insurance. Some countries deliberately produce a shortage of MRI equipment to avoid the high financial outlay.

MRI is considered a very reliable test but very expensive. Doctors refusing to perform MRI examinations is a fairly common occurrence. I paid about $1,000 out of my pocket for testing and decoding, although anyone who looks at the gallery understands that even the decoding was not at the required level.