Contrast x-ray of knee joint 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

not published by hospital

Cash price

?

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.

not published by hospital

Gross charge

?

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.

$108.72 with Texas Health Network vs $4,515.31 with Affiliated PPO — same scan, same building. Share

Negotiated rates by payer
?

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
?

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
?

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 $108.72
Texas Childrens Health Plans STAR $110.94
Texas Childrens Health Plans STARKIDS $110.94
UTMB MGMCD $110.94
Amerigroup MCDCHIPBH $110.94
Amerigroup MGMCD $110.94
Molina Healthcare STARPLUS $122.03
Molina Healthcare STAR $122.03
Molina Healthcare STARKIDS $122.03
Molina Healthcare CHIP $122.03
Community Health Choice MCD STAR+PLUS $128.31
Community Health Choice MCD CHIP $128.31
Community Health Choice MCD CHIPPerinatal $128.31
Community Health Choice MCD STAR $128.31
United MGMCD $130.88
Aetna Better Health MGMCD $138.57
Humana MCD $138.68
Superior Health Plan STARPLUS $301.02
Superior Health Plan STARKids $301.02
Superior Health Plan CHIP $301.02
Superior Health Plan STAR $301.02
Superior Health Plan CHPFC $301.02
Cigna CSN $356.57
Cigna OpenAccessPlus $385.89
Cigna PPO $458.71
BCBS MyBlueHealth $672.06
United NarrowNetworkIndivExchange $699.43
Aetna QHPExchange $722.73
BCBS BAV $725.51
United SmallGroup $828.27
United AllPayerAppendix $828.27
Texas Childrens Health Plans CHIP $832.82
United OptionsPPO $882.99
Aetna NBHMO $960.57
Aetna NBPOS $960.57
Aetna NBPPO $960.57
Aetna COMMPOS $1,021.82
Aetna COMMPPO $1,021.82
Aetna COMMHMO $1,021.82
Aetna OONHMO $1,201.48
Aetna OONPOS $1,201.48
Aetna OONPPO $1,201.48
Texas Workforce Commission WCOMP $1,204.08
IPA Management Services COMM $1,254.25
Healthcare Highways NarrowNetwork $1,279.34
BCBS HMO $1,298.29
Aetna ASAHMO $1,298.46
Aetna ASAPPO $1,298.46
Aetna ASAPOS $1,298.46
BCBS EPOSOA $1,347.93
Evry Health BroadNetwork $1,369.64
BCBS PPO $1,393.75
Humana HMO $1,546.15
Humana PPO $1,546.15
BCBS Traditional $1,755.95
Imagine Health PPO $1,755.95
Kelsey Care (Boon-Chapman) COMM $1,755.95
Christus (USFHP) TRICARE $2,006.80
Curative Administrators COMM $2,006.80
HealthSmart Preferred Care ACCEL $2,157.31
United GlobalAppendix $2,257.65
Averde Health Commercial $2,257.65
Fidelis SecureCare of TX MGMCR $2,257.65
Multiplan SAVILITYNETWORK $2,508.51
Coventry National First Health COMM $2,674.07
Physicians Cooperative of Texas WC $2,759.36
Rockport Workers Comp COMM $2,759.36
National Healthcare Solutions COMM $3,010.21
SouthWest Medical WORKERSCOMP $3,010.21
Beech Street WCOMP $3,010.21
Independent Medical System COMM $3,010.21
Coastal Comp COMM $3,261.06
Cigna Behavioral Health COMMBH $4,013.61
Beech Street COMMPPO $4,013.61
HealthSmart Preferred Care PPO $4,113.95
Physicians, INC COMM $4,264.46
HealthSmart Preferred Care ACCOUNTABLEPPO $4,264.46
Multiplan COMPLEMENTARYPPO $4,515.31
Affiliated PPO COMM $4,515.31

Visitor-reported prices

visitor-reported
Report what you paid sign in to post

Comments

Add a comment sign in to post

Contrast x-ray of knee joint at other Texas hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
BAYLOR UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER Dallas $495.60 $110.94 – $952.69
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BRENHAM Brenham $923.65 $190.12 – $1,385.48
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BUDA Suite 110 $942.13 $110.94 – $1,177.66
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - CENTENNIAL Frisco $495.60 $110.94 – $952.69
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - COLLEGE STATION College Station $923.65 $118.71 – $1,385.48
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE CONTINUING CARE HOSPITAL Temple $923.65 $110.94 – $1,385.48
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE EMERGENCY MEDICAL CENTER - CEDAR PARK Cedar Park $942.13 $110.94 – $1,413.19
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE ALL SAINTS MEDICAL CENTER - FORT WORTH Fort Worth $495.60 $110.94 – $952.69

All Texas hospitals for this procedure →