Cytopathology fluids/washings/brushings smears with interpretation at Baylor St Luke's Medical Center

1101 Bates Avenue, Houston, TX · CommonSpirit Health · · NPI 1184622847

Source: hospital's published price file ↗ · Published Feb 28, 2026 · Ingested Sep 10, 2026

$68.95

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.

$197.00

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.

$28.30 with Renaissance vs $197.00 with MHealth Network — 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
Renaissance Commercial|All Plans $28.30 ↓ -59%
Humana Medicare|All Other Plans $39.31 ↓ -43%
BCBS Medicare|All Plans $39.31 ↓ -43%
Humana Medicare|TRANSPLANT $39.31 ↓ -43%
KELSEY Medicare|All Plans $39.31 ↓ -43%
CIGNA HEALTHSPRING Medicare|HMO $39.31 ↓ -43%
AETNA Medicare|TRANSPLANT $39.31 ↓ -43%
CIGNA HEALTHSPRING Medicare|PPO $39.70 ↓ -42%
AETNA Medicare|All Other Plans $40.10 ↓ -42%
UHC-SecureHorizons Medicare|All Plans $40.10 ↓ -42%
BCBS - TX Commercial|MyBlue Health Exchange $40.12 ↓ -42%
Amerivantage Medicare|All Plans $40.49 ↓ -41%
SELECTCARE Medicare|All Plans $41.28 ↓ -40%
DEVOTED Medicare|All Plans $42.06 ↓ -39%
SCANHealth Medicare|All Plans $42.06 ↓ -39%
BCBS - TX Commercial|Transplant $42.08 ↓ -39%
BCBS - TX Commercial|Blue Advantage Exchange $46.47 ↓ -33%
KINDRED Medicare|All Plans $47.17 ↓ -32%
United Commercial|PPO $47.70 ↓ -31%
United Commercial|HMO $47.70 ↓ -31%
United Commercial|Charter $47.70 ↓ -31%
United Commercial|Exchange $47.70 ↓ -31%
KelseyCare Commercial|Exchange $53.07 ↓ -23%
OPTUM Medicare|All Plans $53.19 ↓ -23%
Employer Direct Commercial|PPO $55.03 ↓ -20%
Bright Health Commercial|All Plans $56.61 ↓ -18%
Harris Health Commercial|ERS $58.97 ↓ -14%
Community Health Choice Commercial|Exchange $58.97 ↓ -14%
Wellpoint Commercial|Exchange $58.97 ↓ -14%
Superior Health Plan Commercial|All Plans $58.97 ↓ -14%
Community Health Choice Commercial|All Other Plans $58.97 ↓ -14%
Aetna Commercial|Exchange $60.54 ↓ -12%
OPTUM Medicaid|STAR $71.28 ↑ +3%
TCHPCHIP Medicaid|HMO $80.77 ↑ +17%
TCH Commercial|Transplant $88.65 ↑ +29%
United Commercial|Optum $92.59 ↑ +34%
BCBS - TX Commercial|Premier $96.61 ↑ +40%
Cigna Commercial|Surefit $97.37 ↑ +41%
Shell Commercial|All Plans $98.50 ↑ +43%
Cigna Commercial|HMO $107.44 ↑ +56%
CHC Medicaid|CHIP $108.35 ↑ +57%
CHC Medicaid|HMO $108.35 ↑ +57%
TEXASTRUECHOICE Medicaid|CHIP $108.35 ↑ +57%
Cigna Lifesource Commercial|Transplant $118.20 ↑ +71%
Aetna Commercial|KelseyCare $120.17 ↑ +74%
NX Health Commercial|PPO $127.76 ↑ +85%
Humana Commercial|Transplant $128.05 ↑ +86%
First Health Commercial|All Plans $128.05 ↑ +86%
Coventry Commercial|PPO $128.05 ↑ +86%
BCBS - TX Commercial|PPO Trad $128.37 ↑ +86%
BCBS - TX Commercial|HMO $133.39 ↑ +93%
Interlink Commercial|Transplant $137.90 ↑ +100%
Healthsmart Commercial|PPO $137.90 ↑ +100%
Cigna Commercial|Transplant $137.90 ↑ +100%
Aetna Commercial|HMO $137.90 ↑ +100%
Cigna Commercial|PPO $146.91 ↑ +113%
MultiPlan Commercial|All Plans $147.75 ↑ +114%
OPTUM Medicaid|STARPLUS $162.77 ↑ +136%
USA Health Network Commercial|All Plans $167.45 ↑ +143%
MHealth Network Commercial|PPO $197.00 ↑ +186%

Visitor-reported prices

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Cytopathology fluids/washings/brushings smears with interpretation at other Texas hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
HCA HOUSTON WEST HOUSTON $514.00 $33.84 – $448.81
St. Luke's Health - The Vintage Hospital Houston $68.95 $47.70 – $197.00
HCA HOUSTON MEDICAL CENTER Houston not published $33.84 – $448.81
HCA HOUSTON TOMBALL HOUSTON not published $33.84 – $448.81
BAYLOR UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER Dallas $179.62 $10.00 – $224.53
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BRENHAM Brenham $181.17 $12.00 – $271.75
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BUDA Suite 110 $181.17 $12.00 – $226.46
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - CENTENNIAL Frisco $179.62 $10.00 – $224.53

All Texas hospitals for this procedure →