Vital capacity test at Baylor St Luke's Medical Center
1101 Bates Avenue, Houston, TX · CommonSpirit Health · · NPI 1184622847
$156.45
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.
$447.00
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.
$94.78 with BCBS - TX vs $745.00 with United — 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| BCBS - TX | Commercial|Transplant | $94.78 | ↓ -39% |
| Cigna | Commercial|Surefit | $100.00 | ↓ -36% |
| Cigna | Commercial|PPO | $100.00 | ↓ -36% |
| Cigna | Commercial|HMO | $100.00 | ↓ -36% |
| Renaissance | Commercial|All Plans | $112.83 | ↓ -28% |
| OPTUM | Medicare|All Plans | $120.69 | ↓ -23% |
| Humana | Medicare|TRANSPLANT | $156.71 | ↑ +0% |
| AETNA | Medicare|TRANSPLANT | $156.71 | ↑ +0% |
| Humana | Medicare|All Other Plans | $156.71 | ↑ +0% |
| KELSEY | Medicare|All Plans | $156.71 | ↑ +0% |
| BCBS | Medicare|All Plans | $156.71 | ↑ +0% |
| CIGNA HEALTHSPRING | Medicare|HMO | $156.71 | ↑ +0% |
| CIGNA HEALTHSPRING | Medicare|PPO | $158.28 | ↑ +1% |
| AETNA | Medicare|All Other Plans | $159.84 | ↑ +2% |
| UHC-SecureHorizons | Medicare|All Plans | $159.84 | ↑ +2% |
| Amerivantage | Medicare|All Plans | $161.41 | ↑ +3% |
| OPTUM | Medicaid|STAR | $161.73 | ↑ +3% |
| BCBS - TX | Commercial|Blue Advantage Exchange | $163.25 | ↑ +4% |
| SELECTCARE | Medicare|All Plans | $164.55 | ↑ +5% |
| BCBS - TX | Commercial|MyBlue Health Exchange | $166.02 | ↑ +6% |
| SCANHealth | Medicare|All Plans | $167.68 | ↑ +7% |
| DEVOTED | Medicare|All Plans | $167.68 | ↑ +7% |
| TCHPCHIP | Medicaid|HMO | $183.27 | ↑ +17% |
| KINDRED | Medicare|All Plans | $188.05 | ↑ +20% |
| TCH | Commercial|Transplant | $201.15 | ↑ +29% |
| United | Commercial|Optum | $210.09 | ↑ +34% |
| KelseyCare | Commercial|Exchange | $211.56 | ↑ +35% |
| Employer Direct | Commercial|PPO | $219.39 | ↑ +40% |
| Shell | Commercial|All Plans | $223.50 | ↑ +43% |
| Bright Health | Commercial|All Plans | $233.47 | ↑ +49% |
| Wellpoint | Commercial|Exchange | $235.06 | ↑ +50% |
| Harris Health | Commercial|ERS | $235.06 | ↑ +50% |
| Community Health Choice | Commercial|All Other Plans | $235.06 | ↑ +50% |
| Community Health Choice | Commercial|Exchange | $235.06 | ↑ +50% |
| Superior Health Plan | Commercial|All Plans | $235.06 | ↑ +50% |
| Aetna | Commercial|Exchange | $241.33 | ↑ +54% |
| CHC | Medicaid|CHIP | $245.85 | ↑ +57% |
| CHC | Medicaid|HMO | $245.85 | ↑ +57% |
| TEXASTRUECHOICE | Medicaid|CHIP | $245.85 | ↑ +57% |
| Cigna Lifesource | Commercial|Transplant | $268.20 | ↑ +71% |
| BCBS - TX | Commercial|PPO Trad | $279.47 | ↑ +79% |
| First Health | Commercial|All Plans | $290.55 | ↑ +86% |
| Coventry | Commercial|PPO | $290.55 | ↑ +86% |
| Humana | Commercial|Transplant | $290.55 | ↑ +86% |
| BCBS - TX | Commercial|Premier | $297.45 | ↑ +90% |
| Interlink | Commercial|Transplant | $312.90 | ↑ +100% |
| Cigna | Commercial|Transplant | $312.90 | ↑ +100% |
| Healthsmart | Commercial|PPO | $312.90 | ↑ +100% |
| MultiPlan | Commercial|All Plans | $335.25 | ↑ +114% |
| OPTUM | Medicaid|STARPLUS | $369.32 | ↑ +136% |
| USA Health Network | Commercial|All Plans | $379.95 | ↑ +143% |
| BCBS - TX | Commercial|HMO | $428.89 | ↑ +174% |
| MHealth Network | Commercial|PPO | $447.00 | ↑ +186% |
| United | Commercial|Exchange | $499.00 | ↑ +219% |
| NX Health | Commercial|PPO | $509.31 | ↑ +226% |
| United | Commercial|Charter | $674.00 | ↑ +331% |
| United | Commercial|PPO | $745.00 | ↑ +376% |
| United | Commercial|HMO | $745.00 | ↑ +376% |
Visitor-reported prices
Comments
Vital capacity test at other Texas hospitals
| Hospital | City | Cash price | Negotiated range |
|---|---|---|---|
| HCA HOUSTON MEDICAL CENTER | Houston | $503.84 | $203.37 – $323.74 |
| HCA HOUSTON WEST | HOUSTON | $476.00 | $203.37 – $323.74 |
| St. Luke's Health - The Vintage Hospital | Houston | $156.45 | $100.00 – $447.00 |
| HCA HOUSTON TOMBALL | HOUSTON | $331.26 | $203.37 – $323.74 |
| BAYLOR UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER | Dallas | $200.99 | $56.95 – $386.96 |
| BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BRENHAM | Brenham | $197.26 | $40.60 – $386.96 |
| BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BUDA | Suite 110 | $207.11 | $41.42 – $386.96 |
| BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - CENTENNIAL | Frisco | $200.99 | $53.60 – $386.96 |