Knee MRI (with 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

not published by hospital

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.

not published by hospital

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.

$316.97 with Texas Health Network vs $14,274.84 with Affiliated PPO — 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 $316.97
Amerigroup MCDCHIPBH $323.44
Texas Childrens Health Plans STARKIDS $323.44
Amerigroup MGMCD $323.44
Texas Childrens Health Plans STAR $323.44
UTMB MGMCD $323.44
Community Health Choice MCD CHIP $328.79
Community Health Choice MCD CHIPPerinatal $328.79
Community Health Choice MCD STAR $328.79
Community Health Choice MCD STAR+PLUS $328.79
United MGMCD $335.37
Aetna Better Health MGMCD $355.09
Molina Healthcare CHIP $355.78
Molina Healthcare STARKIDS $355.78
Molina Healthcare STARPLUS $355.78
Molina Healthcare STAR $355.78
Humana MCD $404.30
Superior Health Plan STAR $951.66
Superior Health Plan STARPLUS $951.66
Superior Health Plan CHIP $951.66
Superior Health Plan CHPFC $951.66
Superior Health Plan STARKids $951.66
BCBS MyBlueHealth $1,157.39
Aetna QHPExchange $1,210.00
BCBS BAV $1,225.48
Aetna ASAPPO $1,301.00
United NarrowNetworkIndivExchange $1,358.84
Aetna NBPPO $1,605.00
Aetna NBHMO $1,605.00
Aetna NBPOS $1,605.00
United SmallGroup $1,609.16
United AllPayerAppendix $1,609.16
Aetna COMMHMO $1,706.00
Aetna COMMPPO $1,706.00
Aetna COMMPOS $1,706.00
Aetna OONPPO $2,007.00
Aetna OONHMO $2,007.00
Aetna OONPOS $2,007.00
Cigna CSN $2,127.00
Aetna ASAHMO $2,168.00
Aetna ASAPOS $2,168.00
Cigna OpenAccessPlus $2,304.00
BCBS HMO $2,566.69
Texas Childrens Health Plans CHIP $2,632.91
Cigna PPO $2,739.00
BCBS EPOSOA $2,770.94
BCBS PPO $2,975.18
United OptionsPPO $3,140.24
IPA Management Services COMM $3,965.23
Texas Workforce Commission WCOMP $4,282.15
Humana PPO $5,279.33
Humana HMO $5,279.33
BCBS Traditional $5,551.33
Christus (USFHP) TRICARE $6,344.37
HealthSmart Preferred Care ACCEL $6,820.20
United GlobalAppendix $7,137.42
Fidelis SecureCare of TX MGMCR $7,137.42
Coventry National First Health COMM $8,453.88
Rockport Workers Comp COMM $8,723.51
Physicians Cooperative of Texas WC $8,723.51
Beech Street WCOMP $9,516.56
National Healthcare Solutions COMM $9,516.56
SouthWest Medical WORKERSCOMP $9,516.56
Independent Medical System COMM $9,516.56
Coastal Comp COMM $10,309.60
Cigna Behavioral Health COMMBH $12,688.74
Beech Street COMMPPO $12,688.74
HealthSmart Preferred Care PPO $13,005.96
HealthSmart Preferred Care ACCOUNTABLEPPO $13,481.79
Physicians, INC COMM $13,481.79
Multiplan COMPLEMENTARYPPO $14,274.84
Affiliated PPO COMM $14,274.84

Visitor-reported prices

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Knee MRI (with contrast) at other Texas hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
BAYLOR UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER Dallas $2,394.58 $323.44 – $2,993.22
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BRENHAM Brenham $2,201.09 $453.06 – $3,301.63
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BUDA Suite 110 $2,551.43 $323.44 – $3,189.29
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - CENTENNIAL Frisco $2,394.58 $323.44 – $2,993.22
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - COLLEGE STATION College Station $2,201.09 $346.08 – $3,301.63
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE CONTINUING CARE HOSPITAL Temple $2,201.09 $323.44 – $3,301.63
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE EMERGENCY MEDICAL CENTER - CEDAR PARK Cedar Park $2,551.43 $323.44 – $3,827.15
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE ALL SAINTS MEDICAL CENTER - FORT WORTH Fort Worth $2,394.58 $323.44 – $2,993.22

All Texas hospitals for this procedure →