Dr. Ashlee Hendry is a Pine Belt physician who runs Mid-South Direct Primary Care in Hattiesburg and Petal. She wanted to do what doctors used to do before they became a part of billing and charges: calling around for MRIs. But TikTok had other plans.
In a now-viral video series, Hendry records herself on the phone with imaging centers as she asks for self-pay prices for a basic MRI of the lumbar spine. What she gets back is a range of Numbers that would make any regular person do a double take seeking health care and an MRI scan to start with.
One center quotes $729.96 and notes that they collect half upfront. Another declines a same-day discount before revealing the “self-pay deal” is $373.89, which is down from $1,859.45. A third swoops in with $1,248.75. With a cash discount, that quote fell to $433.32. Then one facility quotes $1,791 for monthly payments, but $209.05 if the patient pays on the day!
“I was calling to get a quote,” we hear Hendry say as she knows the punchline is coming. By the end, even she sounds stunned. “Oh… that’s really, really good.” TikTok agreed, and suddenly, Dr. Hendry was a national conversation starter.
@drashleehendryJoin me as I call of the local imaging centers and hospitals to get their actual CASH rates for MRI with NO insurance. #doctor #health #directprimarycare #dpc #healthcare♬ original sound – Ashlee Hendry D.O.
Hendry grew up in Jasper/Jones County and trained at William Carey University and UTHSC Memphis, and opened Mid-South DPC as she wanted healthcare to be affordable and transparent. Her clinic doesn’t bill insurance at all. Memberships include extended 30-minute appointments, unlimited visits, after-hours access, texting your provider, and free in-office tests.
But when she’d explain to patients that sometimes insurance actually costs them more, she got skeptical looks. So she pulled out her phone and started dialing. Even insured patients were shocked to discover that their copays and deductibles were more than cash-pay rates. Others were floored that the same MRI could range from $210 to over $2,000 depending on the ZIP code and billing. Her follow-up video tackled the cost of childbirth in the U.S., and that one also went viral.
“It’s really important to know, ‘Hey, my insurance has saved me this amount of money on this procedure, maybe it’s worth it,” the doctor tells WDAM-7. She urges patients to: Compare multiple insurance plans, actually read their benefits, ask for cash-pay prices, and understand what a facility charges before walking through the door. And for those who can’t afford rising premiums? “There’s a way to get affordable care without having insurance if you’re in that situation,” she assures.
Her videos, simple as they are, tap into America’s frustration with healthcare.
