Alpha-fetoprotein tumor marker at HCA HOUSTON MEDICAL CENTER

1313 Hermann Dr, Houston, TX · HCA Houston Healthcare · · NPI 1073043592

Source: hospital's published price file ↗ · Published Mar 1, 2026 · Ingested Sep 10, 2026

not published by hospital

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.

Full explanation →

What you pay up front if you don't use insurance.

not published by hospital

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.

Full explanation →

The hospital's undiscounted list price — almost no one pays this.

$4.19 with Superior Health Plan vs $224.08 with Humana — same scan, same building. Share

Negotiated rates by payer
?

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
Superior Health Plan CHPFC $4.19
Superior Health Plan STAR $4.19
Superior Health Plan STARKids $4.19
Superior Health Plan STARPLUS $4.19
Superior Health Plan CHIP $4.19
United OptionsPPO $11.74
Community Health Choice MCD CHIPPerinatal $14.09
Community Health Choice MCD STAR+PLUS $14.09
Community Health Choice MCD STAR $14.09
Community Health Choice MCD CHIP $14.09
United MGMCD $14.37
Aetna Better Health MGMCD $15.22
Molina Healthcare CHIP $15.50
Molina Healthcare STARPLUS $15.50
Molina Healthcare STAR $15.50
Molina Healthcare STARKIDS $15.50
Oscar MGMCR $16.43
Humana MedicareAdvantageHMO $16.77
Devoted Health MGMCR $16.77
TriWest Healthcare Alliance FED $16.77
Cigna HealthSpring MMP $16.77
Cigna HealthSpring PFFS $16.77
Cigna HealthSpring MCRSNP $16.77
Cigna HealthSpring MCRPPO $16.77
Cigna HealthSpring MCRHMO $16.77
United SmallGroup $16.77
United NarrowNetworkIndivExchange $16.77
United AllPayerAppendix $16.77
Humana MedicareAdvantagePPOPFFS $16.77
BCBS MedicareAdvantageHMO $16.77
BCBS MCRPPO $16.77
WellMed MGMCR $16.85
Van Lang IPA MCR $16.94
United MCR $17.11
WellCare SNP $17.27
WellCare PFFS $17.27
WellCare PPO $17.27
WellCare MCRHMO $17.27
Integranet Amerigroup IPA MCR $17.27
WellCare POS $17.27
American Health Plan MGMCR $17.61
Humana MCD $17.61
Superior Health Plan DualEligible $17.61
Superior Health Plan MCRHMO $17.61
Superior Health Plan MCRPOS $17.61
Superior Health Plan MCRPPO $17.61
Superior Health Plan MCRSNP $17.61
Superior Health Plan PFFS $17.61
ProCare Advantage MGMCR $17.61
Shared Health MGMCR $17.61
Provider Partners Health Plan of Texas SNP $17.78
Provider Partners Health Plan of Texas PFFS $17.78
Provider Partners Health Plan of Texas MCRHMO $17.78
Provider Partners Health Plan of Texas POS $17.78
Provider Partners Health Plan of Texas PPO $17.78
TriWest Health Alliance TRCR $18.15
Christus (USFHP) TRICARE $18.15
Molina MGMCR $18.28
Evry Health BroadNetwork $19.08
Verda Health Plan MCR $21.80
Superior ValueHMO $24.32
Community Health Choice HIX $24.32
BCBS Traditional $24.46
Superior EPO $25.99
Superior HMO $25.99
United GlobalAppendix $31.45
BCBS MyBlueHealth $33.88
Molina Healthcare HIX $36.06
Coventry National First Health COMM $37.25
BCBS BAV $37.40
BCBS HMO $46.79
Oscar HIX $48.47
BCBS EPOSOA $50.14
Healthcare Highways NarrowNetwork $50.32
BCBS PPO $53.50
Aetna QHPExchange $61.46
Cigna CSN $68.28
Cigna OpenAccessPlus $73.96
Aetna NBPPO $81.73
Aetna NBHMO $81.73
Aetna NBPOS $81.73
Aetna COMMPPO $86.83
Aetna COMMPOS $86.83
Aetna COMMHMO $86.83
Cigna PPO $88.00
Aetna OONPPO $102.00
Aetna OONHMO $102.00
Aetna OONPOS $102.00
Aetna ASAHMO $110.29
Aetna ASAPOS $110.29
Aetna ASAPPO $110.29
Humana PPO $224.08
Humana HMO $224.08
Curative Administrators COMM not published by hospital

Visitor-reported prices

visitor-reported
Report what you paid sign in to post

Comments

Add a comment sign in to post

Alpha-fetoprotein tumor marker at other Texas hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Baylor St Luke's Medical Center Houston $106.40 $12.07 – $304.00
St. Luke's Health - The Vintage Hospital Houston $106.40 $12.07 – $304.00
HCA HOUSTON WEST HOUSTON not published $13.81 – $68.28
HCA HOUSTON TOMBALL HOUSTON not published $14.09 – $68.28
Adventhealth Rollins Brook Lampasas $271.79 $15.09 – $64.56
BAYLOR UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER Dallas $252.87 $10.00 – $180.56
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BRENHAM Brenham $252.87 $12.00 – $196.45
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BUDA Suite 110 $252.87 $12.00 – $166.68

All Texas hospitals for this procedure →