Lower Back (Lumbar Spine) CT scan (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

$13,925.72

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.

$13,925.72

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.

$102.66 with Texas Health Network vs $12,533.15 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 $102.66 ↓ -99%
Amerigroup MCDCHIPBH $104.75 ↓ -99%
Texas Childrens Health Plans STARKIDS $104.75 ↓ -99%
Texas Childrens Health Plans STAR $104.75 ↓ -99%
UTMB MGMCD $104.75 ↓ -99%
Amerigroup MGMCD $104.75 ↓ -99%
Community Health Choice MCD STAR+PLUS $106.88 ↓ -99%
Community Health Choice MCD STAR $106.88 ↓ -99%
Community Health Choice MCD CHIP $106.88 ↓ -99%
Community Health Choice MCD CHIPPerinatal $106.88 ↓ -99%
United MGMCD $109.02 ↓ -99%
Molina Healthcare STAR $115.23 ↓ -99%
Molina Healthcare STARKIDS $115.23 ↓ -99%
Molina Healthcare STARPLUS $115.23 ↓ -99%
Molina Healthcare CHIP $115.23 ↓ -99%
Aetna Better Health MGMCD $115.43 ↓ -99%
Humana MCD $130.94 ↓ -99%
BCBS MyBlueHealth $190.54 ↓ -99%
BCBS BAV $201.74 ↓ -99%
United NarrowNetworkIndivExchange $207.04 ↓ -99%
United SmallGroup $245.18 ↓ -98%
United AllPayerAppendix $245.18 ↓ -98%
BCBS HMO $422.54 ↓ -97%
BCBS EPOSOA $456.17 ↓ -97%
BCBS PPO $489.79 ↓ -96%
Aetna QHPExchange $725.00 ↓ -95%
Superior Health Plan CHPFC $835.54 ↓ -94%
Superior Health Plan CHIP $835.54 ↓ -94%
Superior Health Plan STAR $835.54 ↓ -94%
Superior Health Plan STARKids $835.54 ↓ -94%
Superior Health Plan STARPLUS $835.54 ↓ -94%
Aetna NBHMO $963.00 ↓ -93%
Aetna NBPPO $963.00 ↓ -93%
Aetna NBPOS $963.00 ↓ -93%
Aetna COMMPPO $1,024.00 ↓ -93%
Aetna COMMHMO $1,024.00 ↓ -93%
Aetna COMMPOS $1,024.00 ↓ -93%
Aetna OONHMO $1,203.00 ↓ -91%
Aetna OONPOS $1,203.00 ↓ -91%
Aetna OONPPO $1,203.00 ↓ -91%
Aetna ASAPOS $1,301.00 ↓ -91%
Aetna ASAHMO $1,301.00 ↓ -91%
Aetna ASAPPO $1,301.00 ↓ -91%
Cigna CSN $1,635.00 ↓ -88%
Cigna OpenAccessPlus $1,771.00 ↓ -87%
Cigna PPO $2,106.00 ↓ -85%
Humana HMO $2,273.14 ↓ -84%
Humana PPO $2,273.14 ↓ -84%
Texas Childrens Health Plans CHIP $2,311.67 ↓ -83%
United OptionsPPO $2,450.93 ↓ -82%
Texas Workforce Commission WCOMP $3,342.17 ↓ -76%
IPA Management Services COMM $3,481.43 ↓ -75%
BCBS Traditional $4,874.00 ↓ -65%
Christus (USFHP) TRICARE $5,570.29 ↓ -60%
HealthSmart Preferred Care ACCEL $5,988.06 ↓ -57%
United GlobalAppendix $6,266.57 ↓ -55%
Fidelis SecureCare of TX MGMCR $6,266.57 ↓ -55%
Coventry National First Health COMM $7,422.41 ↓ -47%
Physicians Cooperative of Texas WC $7,659.15 ↓ -45%
Rockport Workers Comp COMM $7,659.15 ↓ -45%
National Healthcare Solutions COMM $8,355.43 ↓ -40%
SouthWest Medical WORKERSCOMP $8,355.43 ↓ -40%
Beech Street WCOMP $8,355.43 ↓ -40%
Independent Medical System COMM $8,355.43 ↓ -40%
Coastal Comp COMM $9,051.72 ↓ -35%
Cigna Behavioral Health COMMBH $11,140.58 ↓ -20%
Beech Street COMMPPO $11,140.58 ↓ -20%
HealthSmart Preferred Care PPO $11,419.09 ↓ -18%
Physicians, INC COMM $11,836.86 ↓ -15%
HealthSmart Preferred Care ACCOUNTABLEPPO $11,836.86 ↓ -15%
Affiliated PPO COMM $12,533.15 ↓ -10%
Multiplan COMPLEMENTARYPPO $12,533.15 ↓ -10%

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Lower Back (Lumbar Spine) CT scan (without contrast) at other Texas hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Adventhealth Rollins Brook Lampasas $4,007.51 $522.29 – $522.29
BAYLOR UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER Dallas $2,054.79 $99.77 – $2,568.49
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BRENHAM Brenham $1,731.42 $141.23 – $2,597.13
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BUDA Suite 110 $1,655.02 $99.77 – $2,068.78
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - CENTENNIAL Frisco $2,054.79 $99.77 – $2,568.49
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - COLLEGE STATION College Station $1,731.42 $99.77 – $2,597.13
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE CONTINUING CARE HOSPITAL Temple $1,731.42 $104.75 – $2,597.13
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE EMERGENCY MEDICAL CENTER - CEDAR PARK Cedar Park $1,655.02 $99.77 – $2,482.53

All Texas hospitals for this procedure →