Brain MRI (without contrast) at HCA HOUSTON CLEAR LAKE

225 E PARKWOOD AVE, FRIENDSWOOD, TX · HCA Houston Healthcare · · NPI 1063466035

Source: hospital's published price file ↗ · Published Mar 1, 2026 · Ingested Sep 10, 2026

$14,794.04

Cash price

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Discounted cash price

What a hospital charges a self-pay patient who pays directly, without going through insurance — usually well below the gross charge.

Example: A CT scan has a $3,200 gross charge but an $850 discounted cash price. Ask for it by name when scheduling — hospitals don't always advertise it up front.

Full explanation →

What you pay up front if you don't use insurance.

$14,794.04

Gross charge

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Gross charge (chargemaster price)

The hospital's full, undiscounted list price — pulled from its internal "chargemaster" price list. Almost no one actually pays this.

Example: A chest X-ray has a gross charge of $1,450. The same hospital's discounted cash price for the same X-ray is $180 — the gross charge mostly anchors negotiations, not what patients pay.

Full explanation →

The hospital's undiscounted list price — almost no one pays this.

$198.11 with Texas Health Network vs $13,314.64 with Multiplan — same scan, same building. Share

Negotiated rates by payer
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Negotiated rate

The price a specific insurance plan agreed to pay the hospital for a service — it varies by insurer, and even by plan within the same insurer.

Example: The same knee MRI has a negotiated rate of $904 with one insurer's PPO plan and $1,509 with another's — identical hospital, identical scan.

Full explanation →

Payer
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Payer

The insurance company footing the bill — Aetna, UnitedHealthcare, Medicare, and so on.

Example: "Blue Cross Blue Shield" is the payer. Its negotiated rate for an MRI might be $904, while a different payer's negotiated rate for the same scan is $1,509.

Full explanation →
Plan
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Plan

The specific product an insurer sells — e.g. "Blue Cross PPO 500" — which sets your deductible, coinsurance and negotiated rates.

Example: Two people both insured by Aetna can owe very different amounts for the same MRI: $50 with an HMO plan's flat copay, or the full $1,200 toward a high-deductible PPO plan's unmet deductible.

Full explanation →
Negotiated rate vs. cash
Texas Health Network MCD $198.11 ↓ -99%
UTMB MGMCD $202.15 ↓ -99%
Texas Childrens Health Plans STAR $202.15 ↓ -99%
Amerigroup MGMCD $202.15 ↓ -99%
Amerigroup MCDCHIPBH $202.15 ↓ -99%
Texas Childrens Health Plans STARKIDS $202.15 ↓ -99%
Community Health Choice MCD CHIP $204.15 ↓ -99%
Community Health Choice MCD CHIPPerinatal $204.15 ↓ -99%
Community Health Choice MCD STAR $204.15 ↓ -99%
Community Health Choice MCD STAR+PLUS $204.15 ↓ -99%
United MGMCD $208.23 ↓ -99%
Aetna Better Health MGMCD $220.48 ↓ -99%
Molina Healthcare STAR $222.37 ↓ -98%
Molina Healthcare STARKIDS $222.37 ↓ -98%
Molina Healthcare STARPLUS $222.37 ↓ -98%
Molina Healthcare CHIP $222.37 ↓ -98%
Humana MCD $252.69 ↓ -98%
BCBS MyBlueHealth $396.17 ↓ -97%
BCBS BAV $419.47 ↓ -97%
United NarrowNetworkIndivExchange $437.25 ↓ -97%
United AllPayerAppendix $517.79 ↓ -97%
United SmallGroup $517.79 ↓ -97%
BCBS HMO $878.56 ↓ -94%
Superior Health Plan CHPFC $887.64 ↓ -94%
Superior Health Plan CHIP $887.64 ↓ -94%
Superior Health Plan STAR $887.64 ↓ -94%
Superior Health Plan STARKids $887.64 ↓ -94%
Superior Health Plan STARPLUS $887.64 ↓ -94%
BCBS EPOSOA $948.47 ↓ -94%
BCBS PPO $1,018.38 ↓ -93%
Aetna QHPExchange $1,210.00 ↓ -92%
Aetna ASAPPO $1,301.00 ↓ -91%
Aetna NBPPO $1,605.00 ↓ -89%
Aetna NBPOS $1,605.00 ↓ -89%
Aetna NBHMO $1,605.00 ↓ -89%
Aetna COMMPOS $1,706.00 ↓ -88%
Aetna COMMPPO $1,706.00 ↓ -88%
Aetna COMMHMO $1,706.00 ↓ -88%
Aetna OONPPO $2,007.00 ↓ -86%
Aetna OONPOS $2,007.00 ↓ -86%
Aetna OONHMO $2,007.00 ↓ -86%
Cigna CSN $2,127.00 ↓ -86%
Aetna ASAHMO $2,168.00 ↓ -85%
Aetna ASAPOS $2,168.00 ↓ -85%
Cigna OpenAccessPlus $2,304.00 ↓ -84%
Texas Childrens Health Plans CHIP $2,455.81 ↓ -83%
United OptionsPPO $2,603.75 ↓ -82%
Cigna PPO $2,739.00 ↓ -81%
Humana HMO $2,751.54 ↓ -81%
Humana PPO $2,751.54 ↓ -81%
Texas Workforce Commission WCOMP $3,550.57 ↓ -76%
IPA Management Services COMM $3,698.51 ↓ -75%
BCBS Traditional $5,177.91 ↓ -65%
Christus (USFHP) TRICARE $5,917.62 ↓ -60%
HealthSmart Preferred Care ACCEL $6,361.44 ↓ -57%
United GlobalAppendix $6,657.32 ↓ -55%
Fidelis SecureCare of TX MGMCR $6,657.32 ↓ -55%
Coventry National First Health COMM $7,885.22 ↓ -47%
Physicians Cooperative of Texas WC $8,136.72 ↓ -45%
Rockport Workers Comp COMM $8,136.72 ↓ -45%
National Healthcare Solutions COMM $8,876.42 ↓ -40%
SouthWest Medical WORKERSCOMP $8,876.42 ↓ -40%
Beech Street WCOMP $8,876.42 ↓ -40%
Independent Medical System COMM $8,876.42 ↓ -40%
Coastal Comp COMM $9,616.13 ↓ -35%
Cigna Behavioral Health COMMBH $11,835.23 ↓ -20%
Beech Street COMMPPO $11,835.23 ↓ -20%
HealthSmart Preferred Care PPO $12,131.11 ↓ -18%
Physicians, INC COMM $12,574.93 ↓ -15%
HealthSmart Preferred Care ACCOUNTABLEPPO $12,574.93 ↓ -15%
Affiliated PPO COMM $13,314.64 ↓ -10%
Multiplan COMPLEMENTARYPPO $13,314.64 ↓ -10%

Visitor-reported prices

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Brain MRI (without contrast) at other Texas hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Adventhealth Rollins Brook Lampasas $4,391.63 $1,085.97 – $1,085.97
BAYLOR UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER Dallas $2,189.86 $202.15 – $2,737.32
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BRENHAM Brenham $2,260.29 $314.76 – $3,390.43
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BUDA Suite 110 $2,556.77 $202.15 – $3,195.96
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - CENTENNIAL Frisco $2,189.86 $202.15 – $2,737.32
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - COLLEGE STATION College Station $2,260.29 $216.30 – $3,390.43
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE CONTINUING CARE HOSPITAL Temple $2,260.29 $202.15 – $3,390.43
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE EMERGENCY MEDICAL CENTER - CEDAR PARK Cedar Park $2,556.77 $202.15 – $3,835.15

All Texas hospitals for this procedure →