Lower Back (Lumbar Spine) CT scan (with and without contrast) at HCA HOUSTON CLEAR LAKE
225 E PARKWOOD AVE, FRIENDSWOOD, TX · HCA Houston Healthcare · · NPI 1063466035
$4,520.43
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.
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What you pay up front if you don't use insurance.
$4,520.43
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.
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The hospital's undiscounted list price — almost no one pays this.
$171.56 with Texas Health Network vs $4,068.39 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 →
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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 ?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 | $171.56 | ↓ -96% |
| Texas Childrens Health Plans | STAR | $175.06 | ↓ -96% |
| Texas Childrens Health Plans | STARKIDS | $175.06 | ↓ -96% |
| Amerigroup | MGMCD | $175.06 | ↓ -96% |
| Amerigroup | MCDCHIPBH | $175.06 | ↓ -96% |
| UTMB | MGMCD | $175.06 | ↓ -96% |
| Community Health Choice MCD | STAR+PLUS | $180.34 | ↓ -96% |
| Community Health Choice MCD | CHIPPerinatal | $180.34 | ↓ -96% |
| Community Health Choice MCD | STAR | $180.34 | ↓ -96% |
| Community Health Choice MCD | CHIP | $180.34 | ↓ -96% |
| United | MGMCD | $183.95 | ↓ -96% |
| Molina Healthcare | CHIP | $192.57 | ↓ -96% |
| Molina Healthcare | STARPLUS | $192.57 | ↓ -96% |
| Molina Healthcare | STAR | $192.57 | ↓ -96% |
| Molina Healthcare | STARKIDS | $192.57 | ↓ -96% |
| Aetna Better Health | MGMCD | $194.77 | ↓ -96% |
| Humana | MCD | $218.82 | ↓ -95% |
| Superior Health Plan | STARPLUS | $271.23 | ↓ -94% |
| Superior Health Plan | STARKids | $271.23 | ↓ -94% |
| Superior Health Plan | STAR | $271.23 | ↓ -94% |
| Superior Health Plan | CHPFC | $271.23 | ↓ -94% |
| Superior Health Plan | CHIP | $271.23 | ↓ -94% |
| BCBS | MyBlueHealth | $309.77 | ↓ -93% |
| BCBS | BAV | $328.00 | ↓ -93% |
| United | NarrowNetworkIndivExchange | $339.25 | ↓ -92% |
| United | SmallGroup | $401.74 | ↓ -91% |
| United | AllPayerAppendix | $401.74 | ↓ -91% |
| BCBS | HMO | $686.97 | ↓ -85% |
| Aetna | QHPExchange | $725.00 | ↓ -84% |
| BCBS | EPOSOA | $741.64 | ↓ -84% |
| Texas Childrens Health Plans | CHIP | $750.39 | ↓ -83% |
| BCBS | PPO | $796.30 | ↓ -82% |
| United | OptionsPPO | $913.13 | ↓ -80% |
| Aetna | NBPOS | $963.00 | ↓ -79% |
| Aetna | NBHMO | $963.00 | ↓ -79% |
| Aetna | NBPPO | $963.00 | ↓ -79% |
| Aetna | COMMPOS | $1,024.00 | ↓ -77% |
| Aetna | COMMHMO | $1,024.00 | ↓ -77% |
| Aetna | COMMPPO | $1,024.00 | ↓ -77% |
| IPA Management Services | COMM | $1,130.11 | ↓ -75% |
| Aetna | OONPPO | $1,203.00 | ↓ -73% |
| Aetna | OONPOS | $1,203.00 | ↓ -73% |
| Aetna | OONHMO | $1,203.00 | ↓ -73% |
| Aetna | ASAPPO | $1,301.00 | ↓ -71% |
| Aetna | ASAPOS | $1,301.00 | ↓ -71% |
| Aetna | ASAHMO | $1,301.00 | ↓ -71% |
| BCBS | Traditional | $1,582.15 | ↓ -65% |
| Cigna | CSN | $1,635.00 | ↓ -64% |
| Cigna | OpenAccessPlus | $1,771.00 | ↓ -61% |
| Christus (USFHP) | TRICARE | $1,808.17 | ↓ -60% |
| HealthSmart Preferred Care | ACCEL | $1,943.78 | ↓ -57% |
| United | GlobalAppendix | $2,034.19 | ↓ -55% |
| Fidelis SecureCare of TX | MGMCR | $2,034.19 | ↓ -55% |
| Cigna | PPO | $2,106.00 | ↓ -53% |
| Coventry National First Health | COMM | $2,409.39 | ↓ -47% |
| Physicians Cooperative of Texas | WC | $2,486.24 | ↓ -45% |
| Rockport Workers Comp | COMM | $2,486.24 | ↓ -45% |
| SouthWest Medical | WORKERSCOMP | $2,712.26 | ↓ -40% |
| Independent Medical System | COMM | $2,712.26 | ↓ -40% |
| National Healthcare Solutions | COMM | $2,712.26 | ↓ -40% |
| Beech Street | WCOMP | $2,712.26 | ↓ -40% |
| Coastal Comp | COMM | $2,938.28 | ↓ -35% |
| Humana | PPO | $3,608.79 | ↓ -20% |
| Humana | HMO | $3,608.79 | ↓ -20% |
| Cigna Behavioral Health | COMMBH | $3,616.34 | ↓ -20% |
| Beech Street | COMMPPO | $3,616.34 | ↓ -20% |
| HealthSmart Preferred Care | PPO | $3,706.75 | ↓ -18% |
| HealthSmart Preferred Care | ACCOUNTABLEPPO | $3,842.37 | ↓ -15% |
| Physicians, INC | COMM | $3,842.37 | ↓ -15% |
| Affiliated PPO | COMM | $4,068.39 | ↓ -10% |
| Multiplan | COMPLEMENTARYPPO | $4,068.39 | ↓ -10% |
Visitor-reported prices
Comments
Lower Back (Lumbar Spine) CT scan (with and without contrast) at other Texas hospitals
| Hospital | City | Cash price | Negotiated range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adventhealth Rollins Brook | Lampasas | $5,081.55 | $849.15 – $849.15 |
| BAYLOR UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER | Dallas | $1,677.35 | $167.39 – $2,096.69 |
| BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BRENHAM | Brenham | $1,677.35 | $236.02 – $2,516.03 |
| BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BUDA | Suite 110 | $1,677.35 | $167.39 – $2,096.69 |
| BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - CENTENNIAL | Frisco | $1,677.35 | $167.39 – $2,096.69 |
| BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - COLLEGE STATION | College Station | $1,677.35 | $167.39 – $2,516.03 |
| BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE CONTINUING CARE HOSPITAL | Temple | $1,677.35 | $175.06 – $2,516.03 |
| BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE EMERGENCY MEDICAL CENTER - CEDAR PARK | Cedar Park | $1,677.35 | $167.39 – $2,516.03 |