Bay Radiology in the Bay of Plenty: what a scan costs, locations and which insurers cover it

Written by Henry Smith · Reviewed by Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver, licensed Financial Advice Provider (FSP712931) · Updated 2026-09-09 · Reviewed annually, or sooner if the rules it describes change.

Financial advice is provided by Craig Smith Business Services Limited, trading as Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver, a licensed Financial Advice Provider (FSP712931). QuoteHub is a trading name.

Bay Radiology has served the Bay of Plenty for over 30 years, established in 1988, and now runs 10 clinics across the region as part of RHCNZ Medical Imaging Group, the same parent as Pacific Radiology and Auckland Radiology (Bay Radiology, about us, retrieved 9 September 2026).

What is Bay Radiology and who owns it?

Bay Radiology says it is part of RHCNZ, New Zealand's largest private radiology provider, and that the wider network across its three iconic brands, Auckland Radiology Group, Bay Radiology and Pacific Radiology, runs to 74 clinics, more than 1,400 staff and more than 180 specialist radiologists (Bay Radiology, about us, retrieved 9 September 2026).

Bay Radiology's own clinic locator lists 10 clinics across the Bay of Plenty, including sites at Grace Campus in Tauranga, Katikati, Matamata, Mount Maunganui and Papamoa (Bay Radiology, our clinics, retrieved 9 September 2026). Bay Radiology says it is the official imaging partner of Triathlon New Zealand (Bay Radiology, about us, retrieved 9 September 2026).

Detail	What is published
Parent group	RHCNZ Medical Imaging Group (Bay Radiology, retrieved 9 September 2026)
Sister brands	Auckland Radiology Group, Pacific Radiology (Bay Radiology, retrieved 9 September 2026)
Clinics	10, across the Bay of Plenty (Bay Radiology, retrieved 9 September 2026)
Established	1988 (Bay Radiology, retrieved 9 September 2026)
Radiologists (RHCNZ-wide)	180+ (Bay Radiology, retrieved 9 September 2026)
Website	https://bayradiology.co.nz/

What does a scan cost at Bay Radiology?

Bay Radiology's patient-facing pages do not publish a fixed dollar price list for X-ray, ultrasound, CT, MRI, bone density (DEXA) or breast imaging services in the source pack for this page, so cost is a "not published" answer here, matching the pattern across its sister RHCNZ brands (Bay Radiology, our clinics, retrieved 9 September 2026). QuoteHub's own MRI scan cost NZ research and the CT scan cost and ultrasound cost pages are the better starting point for national indicative pricing before you get a direct clinic quote.

Question	What is published
Published price list	Not published on Bay Radiology's own site
Services offered	X-ray, ultrasound, CT scan, CT calcium score, CT colonography, MRI, PET-CT, bone density (DEXA), breast imaging, immigration X-ray, interventional services, pregnancy ultrasound (Bay Radiology, retrieved 9 September 2026)
Comparable published data	Awanui Labs 2026 patient price list shows what a dated New Zealand provider price list looks like for pathology, for reference

Which insurers cover a scan at Bay Radiology?

The same rules apply here as across the RHCNZ family: your insurer's Affiliated Provider or First Choice status for the specific Bay Radiology clinic and scan type, not a blanket brand-wide guarantee.

Southern Cross requires diagnostic imaging, including CT, CT angiogram, MRI, MRI angiogram, nuclear medicine scan, mammography, X-ray and most ultrasound, to be performed by an Affiliated Provider for cover under policies where that benefit applies, effective from 20 May 2026 (Southern Cross, Affiliated Provider-only healthcare services, retrieved 9 September 2026). Confirm your specific Bay Radiology clinic in Southern Cross's own Healthcare Finder before booking.

nib says its First Choice network gives members 100% of eligible costs covered at recognised providers; check the current status of your Bay Radiology clinic in nib's live Find a Provider tool (nib, First Choice network, retrieved 9 September 2026).

AIA's policy wording requires prior approval before non-emergency treatment tied to a claim, without publishing a narrow named imaging network in the wording reviewed for this page (AIA Private Health Policy Wording, retrieved 9 September 2026).

Insurer or route	What is published
Southern Cross	MRI, CT, X-ray, ultrasound and other imaging are Affiliated Provider-only where that benefit applies; confirm the specific clinic in the Healthcare Finder (Southern Cross, retrieved 9 September 2026)
nib	First Choice providers get 100% of eligible costs covered; check current status in nib's live provider tool (nib, retrieved 9 September 2026)
AIA	Prior approval required before non-emergency imaging tied to a claim (AIA, retrieved 9 September 2026)
Partners Life	Non-surgical hospital and surgical benefits may cover related imaging, subject to policy terms and prior approval (Partners Life, retrieved 9 September 2026)
UniMed	Hospital cover pays imaging benefits per plan wording, prior approval required (UniMed Hospital Select, retrieved 9 September 2026)

How do referrals and prior approval work for a Bay of Plenty scan?

A GP or specialist referral is the standard route into Bay Radiology for non-emergency imaging, and if you want your insurer to pay, prior approval is usually needed before the scan.

Southern Cross's Affiliated Provider system means the provider often organises prior approval and claims on the member's behalf where both the provider and the service are eligible (Southern Cross, Affiliated Provider, retrieved 9 September 2026). See Southern Cross prior approval, Southern Cross claims, nib prior approval and UniMed prior approval for the general processes.

Step	What is published
Referral	From a GP or specialist for most non-emergency scans (QuoteHub Research, retrieved 9 September 2026)
Southern Cross prior approval	Often organised by the Affiliated Provider on the member's behalf (Southern Cross, retrieved 9 September 2026)
Other insurers	Check the insurer's own prior-approval process before booking
If not covered	Pay Bay Radiology directly at the clinic

Common questions about Bay Radiology

How much does a scan cost at Bay Radiology?

Bay Radiology does not publish a fixed price list on its patient-facing pages; ask your local clinic for a direct quote when you book, or check QuoteHub's MRI scan cost NZ page for national indicative pricing (Bay Radiology, retrieved 9 September 2026).

Is Bay Radiology covered by Southern Cross or nib?

It can be, but Affiliated Provider status with Southern Cross and First Choice network status with nib both apply clinic by clinic and service by service, so confirm your specific Bay Radiology clinic directly with each insurer before booking (Southern Cross, retrieved 9 September 2026; nib, retrieved 9 September 2026).

Do I need a referral to book at Bay Radiology?

Yes for almost all non-emergency imaging; a GP or specialist referral is the standard route, and prior approval is typically needed before the scan if you want your insurer to pay (QuoteHub Research, retrieved 9 September 2026).

Where are Bay Radiology's locations in the Bay of Plenty?

Bay Radiology operates 10 clinics across the Bay of Plenty, including Grace Campus in Tauranga, Katikati, Matamata, Mount Maunganui, Papamoa and Tauranga Hospital MRI (Bay Radiology, our clinics, retrieved 9 September 2026).

How long does it take to get scan results from Bay Radiology?

No single published national turnaround time was confirmed for this page; ask your booking clinic directly, since timing can depend on the scan type and whether a second radiologist review is needed.

Is Bay Radiology the same company as Pacific Radiology or Auckland Radiology?

They are sister brands under the same parent, RHCNZ Medical Imaging Group, but each operates in its own region: Bay Radiology in the Bay of Plenty, Pacific Radiology in the South Island, Waikato and lower North Island, and Auckland Radiology in Auckland and Northland (Bay Radiology, retrieved 9 September 2026).

What imaging services does Bay Radiology offer?

Bay Radiology's clinics offer bone density (DEXA), breast imaging including BreastScreen Aotearoa, CT scan, CT calcium score, CT colonography, immigration X-ray, interventional services, MRI, PET-CT, pregnancy ultrasound, ultrasound and X-ray, though not every service is available at every clinic (Bay Radiology, our clinics, retrieved 9 September 2026).

How long has Bay Radiology been operating?

Bay Radiology says it was established in 1988 and has served the Bay of Plenty region for over three decades (Bay Radiology, about us, retrieved 9 September 2026).

Does Partners Life or UniMed cover a scan at Bay Radiology?

Both can cover imaging tied to a wider hospital or specialist claim, subject to policy terms and prior approval, but neither publishes a Bay Radiology-specific network in the source pack for this page; check Partners Life or UniMed directly (Partners Life, retrieved 9 September 2026).

What are the alternatives to Bay Radiology?

In the Bay of Plenty, Grace Hospital Tauranga is the main private hospital comparison. Elsewhere in New Zealand, see Pacific Radiology, Auckland Radiology and TRG Imaging.

Does Bay Radiology work with ACC claims?

This page's source pack does not confirm a published ACC contract or process specific to Bay Radiology; if your scan relates to an accident, check with your treatment provider and ACC directly, and see QuoteHub's ACC guides for how ACC and private cover interact more generally.

How does Bay Radiology compare with waiting for a scan in the public system?

New Zealand's public treatment waitlist had 77,455 people at 31 March 2026, with 35.0% waiting more than four months, and private imaging through a provider like Bay Radiology is one of the ways patients avoid that queue when they can pay directly or claim through insurance (QuoteHub Research, treatment costs and waiting times, retrieved 9 September 2026).

Verdict

QuoteHub's read is that Bay Radiology is a genuinely long-standing regional operator, established in 1988, with 10 clinics across the Bay of Plenty and the backing of RHCNZ's national scale, but the cost of a scan is still a phone call away, since no price list is published, and cover depends entirely on your insurer's Affiliated Provider or First Choice status for the specific clinic. See Southern Cross, nib, health insurance companies, Grace Hospital Tauranga, the providers hub and the private hospitals directory for where a scan often leads next.