X-ray surgical specimen 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

$1,010.20

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.

$1,010.20

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.

$41.92 with Texas Health Network vs $1,757.77 with BCBS — 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 $41.92 ↓ -96%
Community Health Choice MCD STAR $42.10 ↓ -96%
Community Health Choice MCD STAR+PLUS $42.10 ↓ -96%
Community Health Choice MCD CHIP $42.10 ↓ -96%
Community Health Choice MCD CHIPPerinatal $42.10 ↓ -96%
UTMB MGMCD $42.78 ↓ -96%
Texas Childrens Health Plans STARKIDS $42.78 ↓ -96%
Texas Childrens Health Plans STAR $42.78 ↓ -96%
Amerigroup MGMCD $42.78 ↓ -96%
Amerigroup MCDCHIPBH $42.78 ↓ -96%
United MGMCD $42.94 ↓ -96%
Aetna Better Health MGMCD $45.47 ↓ -95%
Molina Healthcare CHIP $47.06 ↓ -95%
Molina Healthcare STARPLUS $47.06 ↓ -95%
Molina Healthcare STARKIDS $47.06 ↓ -95%
Molina Healthcare STAR $47.06 ↓ -95%
Humana MCD $53.48 ↓ -95%
Superior Health Plan CHIP $60.61 ↓ -94%
Superior Health Plan STARPLUS $60.61 ↓ -94%
Superior Health Plan STARKids $60.61 ↓ -94%
Superior Health Plan STAR $60.61 ↓ -94%
Superior Health Plan CHPFC $60.61 ↓ -94%
Cigna CSN $98.06 ↓ -90%
Cigna OpenAccessPlus $106.12 ↓ -89%
Cigna PPO $126.15 ↓ -88%
Aetna QHPExchange $151.09 ↓ -85%
Humana PPO $154.38 ↓ -85%
Humana HMO $154.38 ↓ -85%
Texas Childrens Health Plans CHIP $167.69 ↓ -83%
United OptionsPPO $177.80 ↓ -82%
Aetna NBPPO $200.81 ↓ -80%
Aetna NBPOS $200.81 ↓ -80%
Aetna NBHMO $200.81 ↓ -80%
Aetna COMMPOS $213.61 ↓ -79%
Aetna COMMPPO $213.61 ↓ -79%
Aetna COMMHMO $213.61 ↓ -79%
Texas Workforce Commission WCOMP $242.45 ↓ -76%
Aetna OONPPO $251.17 ↓ -75%
Aetna OONPOS $251.17 ↓ -75%
Aetna OONHMO $251.17 ↓ -75%
IPA Management Services COMM $252.55 ↓ -75%
Healthcare Highways NarrowNetwork $257.60 ↓ -75%
Aetna ASAHMO $271.44 ↓ -73%
Aetna ASAPOS $271.44 ↓ -73%
Aetna ASAPPO $271.44 ↓ -73%
Evry Health BroadNetwork $275.78 ↓ -73%
BCBS Traditional $353.57 ↓ -65%
Imagine Health PPO $353.57 ↓ -65%
Kelsey Care (Boon-Chapman) COMM $353.57 ↓ -65%
Curative Administrators COMM $404.08 ↓ -60%
Christus (USFHP) TRICARE $404.08 ↓ -60%
HealthSmart Preferred Care ACCEL $434.39 ↓ -57%
Fidelis SecureCare of TX MGMCR $454.59 ↓ -55%
United GlobalAppendix $454.59 ↓ -55%
Averde Health Commercial $454.59 ↓ -55%
Multiplan SAVILITYNETWORK $505.10 ↓ -50%
Coventry National First Health COMM $538.44 ↓ -47%
Rockport Workers Comp COMM $555.61 ↓ -45%
Physicians Cooperative of Texas WC $555.61 ↓ -45%
Beech Street WCOMP $606.12 ↓ -40%
Independent Medical System COMM $606.12 ↓ -40%
National Healthcare Solutions COMM $606.12 ↓ -40%
SouthWest Medical WORKERSCOMP $606.12 ↓ -40%
Coastal Comp COMM $656.63 ↓ -35%
Cigna Behavioral Health COMMBH $808.16 ↓ -20%
Beech Street COMMPPO $808.16 ↓ -20%
HealthSmart Preferred Care PPO $828.36 ↓ -18%
BCBS MyBlueHealth $847.58 ↓ -16%
Physicians, INC COMM $858.67 ↓ -15%
HealthSmart Preferred Care ACCOUNTABLEPPO $858.67 ↓ -15%
Multiplan COMPLEMENTARYPPO $909.18 ↓ -10%
Affiliated PPO COMM $909.18 ↓ -10%
BCBS BAV $915.00 ↓ -9%
United NarrowNetworkIndivExchange $917.49 ↓ -9%
United AllPayerAppendix $1,086.50 ↑ +8%
United SmallGroup $1,086.50 ↑ +8%
BCBS HMO $1,637.37 ↑ +62%
BCBS EPOSOA $1,699.98 ↑ +68%
BCBS PPO $1,757.77 ↑ +74%

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X-ray surgical specimen at other Texas hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
BAYLOR UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER Dallas $458.88 $42.78 – $1,366.64
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BRENHAM Brenham $638.62 $131.45 – $1,366.64
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BUDA Suite 110 $565.09 $42.78 – $1,366.64
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - CENTENNIAL Frisco $458.88 $42.78 – $1,366.64
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - COLLEGE STATION College Station $638.62 $45.77 – $1,366.64
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE CONTINUING CARE HOSPITAL Temple $638.62 $42.78 – $1,366.64
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE EMERGENCY MEDICAL CENTER - CEDAR PARK Cedar Park $565.09 $42.78 – $1,366.64
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE ALL SAINTS MEDICAL CENTER - FORT WORTH Fort Worth $458.88 $42.78 – $1,366.64

All Texas hospitals for this procedure →