Chest X-ray (single view) 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

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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.

not published by hospital

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.

$26.06 with Community Health Choice MCD vs $659.68 with Coventry National First Health — 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
Community Health Choice MCD CHIPPerinatal $26.06
Community Health Choice MCD CHIP $26.06
Community Health Choice MCD STAR+PLUS $26.06
Community Health Choice MCD STAR $26.06
United MGMCD $26.58
Aetna Better Health MGMCD $28.14
Molina Healthcare CHIP $28.30
Molina Healthcare STAR $28.30
Molina Healthcare STARKIDS $28.30
Molina Healthcare STARPLUS $28.30
Humana MCD $32.16
Cigna CSN $62.88
Cigna OpenAccessPlus $68.05
Superior Health Plan STARPLUS $74.26
Superior Health Plan STARKids $74.26
Superior Health Plan STAR $74.26
Superior Health Plan CHPFC $74.26
Superior Health Plan CHIP $74.26
Cigna PPO $80.90
Aetna QHPExchange $101.31
Aetna NBPOS $134.66
Aetna NBHMO $134.66
Aetna NBPPO $134.66
BCBS MyBlueHealth $140.47
Aetna COMMHMO $143.24
Aetna COMMPPO $143.24
Aetna COMMPOS $143.24
United NarrowNetworkIndivExchange $153.71
Aetna OONPPO $168.43
Aetna OONHMO $168.43
Aetna OONPOS $168.43
BCBS BAV $177.98
Aetna ASAPOS $182.02
Aetna ASAPPO $182.02
Aetna ASAHMO $182.02
United SmallGroup $182.03
United AllPayerAppendix $182.03
United OptionsPPO $207.93
Humana HMO $222.82
Humana PPO $222.82
BCBS HMO $271.35
BCBS EPOSOA $290.51
BCBS PPO $308.86
Healthcare Highways NarrowNetwork $315.61
Evry Health BroadNetwork $337.88
BCBS Traditional $433.18
Christus (USFHP) TRICARE $495.07
Curative Administrators COMM $495.07
United GlobalAppendix $556.95
Coventry National First Health COMM $659.68

Visitor-reported prices

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Chest X-ray (single view) at other Texas hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Baylor St Luke's Medical Center Houston $436.80 $25.73 – $1,248.00
St. Luke's Health - The Vintage Hospital Houston $436.80 $25.73 – $1,248.00
HCA HOUSTON WEST HOUSTON not published $25.22 – $140.47
HCA HOUSTON TOMBALL HOUSTON not published $25.73 – $140.47
Adventhealth Rollins Brook Lampasas $687.73 $307.27 – $307.27
BAYLOR UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER Dallas $220.04 $25.73 – $275.06
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BRENHAM Brenham $327.08 $67.32 – $490.62
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BUDA Suite 110 $349.81 $25.73 – $437.26

All Texas hospitals for this procedure →