X-ray exam of middle ear 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

$1,988.92

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.

$1,988.92

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.

$60.91 with Texas Health Network vs $1,790.03 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 $60.91 ↓ -97%
Community Health Choice MCD STAR+PLUS $61.81 ↓ -97%
Community Health Choice MCD CHIP $61.81 ↓ -97%
Community Health Choice MCD STAR $61.81 ↓ -97%
Community Health Choice MCD CHIPPerinatal $61.81 ↓ -97%
Amerigroup MGMCD $62.15 ↓ -97%
UTMB MGMCD $62.15 ↓ -97%
Amerigroup MCDCHIPBH $62.15 ↓ -97%
Texas Childrens Health Plans STARKIDS $62.15 ↓ -97%
Texas Childrens Health Plans STAR $62.15 ↓ -97%
United MGMCD $63.05 ↓ -97%
Aetna Better Health MGMCD $66.75 ↓ -97%
Molina Healthcare STARKIDS $68.37 ↓ -97%
Molina Healthcare STAR $68.37 ↓ -97%
Molina Healthcare CHIP $68.37 ↓ -97%
Molina Healthcare STARPLUS $68.37 ↓ -97%
Humana MCD $77.69 ↓ -96%
Superior Health Plan CHIP $119.34 ↓ -94%
Superior Health Plan STAR $119.34 ↓ -94%
Superior Health Plan CHPFC $119.34 ↓ -94%
Superior Health Plan STARPLUS $119.34 ↓ -94%
Superior Health Plan STARKids $119.34 ↓ -94%
Cigna CSN $162.37 ↓ -92%
Cigna OpenAccessPlus $175.73 ↓ -91%
Cigna PPO $208.89 ↓ -89%
Aetna QHPExchange $264.65 ↓ -87%
Texas Childrens Health Plans CHIP $330.16 ↓ -83%
Aetna NBHMO $351.75 ↓ -82%
Aetna NBPPO $351.75 ↓ -82%
Aetna NBPOS $351.75 ↓ -82%
Aetna COMMPPO $374.17 ↓ -81%
Aetna COMMPOS $374.17 ↓ -81%
Aetna COMMHMO $374.17 ↓ -81%
United OptionsPPO $401.76 ↓ -80%
Aetna OONPOS $439.96 ↓ -78%
Aetna OONPPO $439.96 ↓ -78%
Aetna OONHMO $439.96 ↓ -78%
Aetna ASAPPO $475.47 ↓ -76%
Aetna ASAPOS $475.47 ↓ -76%
Aetna ASAHMO $475.47 ↓ -76%
IPA Management Services COMM $497.23 ↓ -75%
Healthcare Highways NarrowNetwork $507.17 ↓ -75%
Evry Health BroadNetwork $542.98 ↓ -73%
Humana PPO $570.77 ↓ -71%
Humana HMO $570.77 ↓ -71%
Imagine Health PPO $696.12 ↓ -65%
BCBS Traditional $696.12 ↓ -65%
Curative Administrators COMM $795.57 ↓ -60%
Christus (USFHP) TRICARE $795.57 ↓ -60%
BCBS MyBlueHealth $847.58 ↓ -57%
HealthSmart Preferred Care ACCEL $855.24 ↓ -57%
United GlobalAppendix $895.01 ↓ -55%
Fidelis SecureCare of TX MGMCR $895.01 ↓ -55%
Averde Health Commercial $895.01 ↓ -55%
BCBS BAV $915.00 ↓ -54%
United NarrowNetworkIndivExchange $917.49 ↓ -54%
Multiplan SAVILITYNETWORK $994.46 ↓ -50%
Coventry National First Health COMM $1,060.09 ↓ -47%
United AllPayerAppendix $1,086.50 ↓ -45%
United SmallGroup $1,086.50 ↓ -45%
Physicians Cooperative of Texas WC $1,093.91 ↓ -45%
Rockport Workers Comp COMM $1,093.91 ↓ -45%
National Healthcare Solutions COMM $1,193.35 ↓ -40%
Independent Medical System COMM $1,193.35 ↓ -40%
SouthWest Medical WORKERSCOMP $1,193.35 ↓ -40%
Beech Street WCOMP $1,193.35 ↓ -40%
Coastal Comp COMM $1,292.80 ↓ -35%
Cigna Behavioral Health COMMBH $1,591.14 ↓ -20%
Beech Street COMMPPO $1,591.14 ↓ -20%
HealthSmart Preferred Care PPO $1,630.91 ↓ -18%
BCBS HMO $1,637.37 ↓ -18%
Physicians, INC COMM $1,690.58 ↓ -15%
HealthSmart Preferred Care ACCOUNTABLEPPO $1,690.58 ↓ -15%
BCBS EPOSOA $1,699.98 ↓ -15%
BCBS PPO $1,757.77 ↓ -12%
Multiplan COMPLEMENTARYPPO $1,790.03 ↓ -10%
Affiliated PPO COMM $1,790.03 ↓ -10%

Visitor-reported prices

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X-ray exam of middle ear at other Texas hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BRENHAM Brenham $322.45 $66.37 – $1,366.64
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BUDA Suite 110 $338.57 $62.15 – $1,366.64
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - COLLEGE STATION College Station $322.45 $66.50 – $1,366.64
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE CONTINUING CARE HOSPITAL Temple $322.45 $62.15 – $1,366.64
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE EMERGENCY MEDICAL CENTER - CEDAR PARK Cedar Park $338.57 $62.15 – $1,366.64
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER HILLCREST Waco $322.45 $62.15 – $1,366.64
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MCLANE CHILDREN'S MEDICAL CENTER Temple $322.45 $62.15 – $1,366.64
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - PFLUGERVILLE Suite 100 $338.57 $62.15 – $1,618.11

All Texas hospitals for this procedure →