Loans and leases for the equipment that runs a practice — imaging, dental, lab, diagnostic, surgical, and exam-room — structured to your practice cash flow and Section 179 strategy.
Medical equipment financing is a loan or lease used to acquire the equipment a practice runs on — imaging systems, dental and lab equipment, diagnostic and surgical devices, and exam-room technology — with the equipment itself securing the financing.
A practice runs on expensive, long-lived equipment, and nearly all of it can be financed with the equipment as collateral. Axiant covers the full range, with dedicated guides for each category:
Whether you are opening, relocating, or upgrading, financing spreads the cost across the years the equipment earns revenue instead of tying up practice capital.
There are three levers in a medical equipment deal, and the right mix depends on your tax position and how long you will keep the equipment:
get matched with lenders to compare loan, lease, and Section 179 structures for your specific equipment and practice.
The tax treatment is what makes financing medical equipment so attractive. Under Section 179, a practice can often deduct the full purchase price of qualifying equipment in the year it is placed in service, up to the annual limit — even when the equipment is financed and you have only made a few payments. In practice that means a practice can acquire a major piece of equipment, put it to work generating revenue, deduct a large share of the cost this tax year, and pay for it over time out of that revenue. Bonus depreciation can apply on top for amounts above the Section 179 cap. The result is that financing frequently produces a first-year tax benefit that offsets a meaningful part of the payments. Always confirm the specifics with your accountant, since limits and eligibility change and depend on your practice's situation — but this is the core reason cash-rich practices still finance.
Medical equipment financing terms track the equipment and the practice:
Because medical lenders understand the equipment and the economics of a practice, matching your deal to the right lender is what secures the best rate — an imaging center, a dental practice, and a reference lab are underwritten differently.
Lenders underwrite both the equipment and the practice:
Medical equipment finances across the condition spectrum. New equipment from the manufacturer has clear value, a warranty, and often the best terms and lowest down payment. Used and refurbished systems — common and cost-effective in imaging and dental — are financeable when the age, condition, and service history check out; certified-refurbished imaging with a service contract finances especially well. Financing a quality refurbished system can be the most capital-efficient way to add capacity, and it still qualifies for Section 179 treatment when placed in service.
Say a growing imaging center is adding a $450,000 MRI system. Rather than pay cash, the practice finances it over seven years with little or no money down, secured by the scanner. Under Section 179 and bonus depreciation, a large share of the $450,000 can often be deducted in the first year even though only a few payments have been made — while the scanner immediately begins generating scan revenue that covers the payment. Two things happen at once: the practice keeps its cash for staffing and operations, and the first-year tax deduction offsets much of the year's cost. The same logic applies to a $120,000 dental CBCT-and-chair build-out or a $60,000 lab analyzer. Run your equipment and practice numbers, then get matched for real terms.
Medical lenders specialize by equipment and practice type, and their rates and structures vary widely — the right lender for a $450K MRI is rarely the right one for a dental operatory or a reference lab. Instead of approaching banks and vendor-finance desks one at a time, tell us about your equipment and practice once and compare real medical equipment financing offers side by side, so the rate, term, and Section 179 structure you get are ones a lender will actually honor.
Yes. Medical equipment financing is a well-established category. Imaging systems, dental and lab equipment, diagnostic and surgical devices, and exam-room technology can all be financed with a loan or lease secured by the equipment, for new, used, and refurbished purchases. Terms depend on the equipment, your practice financials, and whether it is a loan or a lease.
Generally yes. Section 179 lets a practice deduct the full purchase price of qualifying equipment in the year it is placed in service, up to the annual limit, even when the equipment is financed and only a few payments have been made. Bonus depreciation can apply on top. This first-year deduction is a major reason practices finance rather than pay cash. Confirm the specifics with your accountant.
Down payments are often low, and 0%-down or 100% financing is available for established practices with strong credit. Newer practices, start-ups, or used equipment may require a down payment. The exact amount depends on the equipment, your credit, and the practice financials.
Yes. A start-up or newly acquired practice can finance equipment even without a long operating history — lenders lean on the provider’s credit, the business plan, and the equipment as collateral. Financing the equipment is often part of a broader medical practice financing plan for opening or acquiring a practice.
Yes. Used and refurbished medical equipment, common in imaging and dental, is financeable when the age, condition, and service history check out. Certified-refurbished imaging with a service contract finances especially well, and it still qualifies for Section 179 treatment when placed in service.
Nearly all durable practice equipment: medical imaging (MRI, CT, X-ray, ultrasound), dental equipment (chairs, CBCT, CAD/CAM), laboratory equipment (analyzers, centrifuges), diagnostic and monitoring devices, and surgical, exam-room, and practice fit-out equipment. Each category has its own financing considerations, but all use the equipment as collateral.
Tell us about the equipment and your practice, and Axiant matches you with medical equipment lenders across imaging, dental, lab, and diagnostic financing. One application, real offers, no obligation, and checking won't affect your credit.