Dch validity tests 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.

$2.92 with Community Health Choice MCD vs $108.25 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 CHIP $2.92
Community Health Choice MCD CHIPPerinatal $2.92
Community Health Choice MCD STAR+PLUS $2.92
Community Health Choice MCD STAR $2.92
United MGMCD $2.98
Aetna Better Health MGMCD $3.15
Molina Healthcare STARKIDS $3.21
Molina Healthcare CHIP $3.21
Molina Healthcare STARPLUS $3.21
Molina Healthcare STAR $3.21
Oscar MGMCR $3.41
Cigna HealthSpring PFFS $3.48
TriWest Healthcare Alliance FED $3.48
United AllPayerAppendix $3.48
Humana MedicareAdvantageHMO $3.48
Humana MedicareAdvantagePPOPFFS $3.48
Devoted Health MGMCR $3.48
United NarrowNetworkIndivExchange $3.48
United SmallGroup $3.48
Cigna HealthSpring MCRHMO $3.48
Cigna HealthSpring MCRPPO $3.48
Cigna HealthSpring MCRSNP $3.48
BCBS MedicareAdvantageHMO $3.48
BCBS MCRPPO $3.48
Cigna HealthSpring MMP $3.48
WellMed MGMCR $3.50
Van Lang IPA MCR $3.51
United MCR $3.55
WellCare MCRHMO $3.58
WellCare POS $3.58
WellCare PFFS $3.58
WellCare PPO $3.58
Integranet Amerigroup IPA MCR $3.58
WellCare SNP $3.58
American Health Plan MGMCR $3.65
Humana MCD $3.65
Superior Health Plan DualEligible $3.65
Superior Health Plan MCRHMO $3.65
Superior Health Plan MCRPOS $3.65
Superior Health Plan MCRPPO $3.65
Superior Health Plan MCRSNP $3.65
Superior Health Plan PFFS $3.65
ProCare Advantage MGMCR $3.65
Shared Health MGMCR $3.65
Provider Partners Health Plan of Texas PPO $3.69
Provider Partners Health Plan of Texas PFFS $3.69
Provider Partners Health Plan of Texas MCRHMO $3.69
Provider Partners Health Plan of Texas POS $3.69
Provider Partners Health Plan of Texas SNP $3.69
TriWest Health Alliance TRCR $3.77
Christus (USFHP) TRICARE $3.77
Molina MGMCR $3.79
Verda Health Plan MCR $4.52
Community Health Choice HIX $5.05
Superior ValueHMO $5.05
Superior EPO $5.39
Superior HMO $5.39
BCBS MyBlueHealth $7.03
Molina Healthcare HIX $7.48
BCBS BAV $7.76
Healthcare Highways NarrowNetwork $8.45
BCBS HMO $9.71
Oscar HIX $10.06
BCBS EPOSOA $10.41
BCBS PPO $11.10
Superior Health Plan STARPLUS $12.19
Superior Health Plan STAR $12.19
Superior Health Plan CHPFC $12.19
Superior Health Plan CHIP $12.19
Superior Health Plan STARKids $12.19
Aetna QHPExchange $12.72
Cigna CSN $13.94
Cigna OpenAccessPlus $15.10
Aetna NBHMO $16.92
Aetna NBPOS $16.92
Aetna NBPPO $16.92
Cigna PPO $17.97
Aetna COMMPPO $17.98
Aetna COMMPOS $17.98
Aetna COMMHMO $17.98
Aetna OONHMO $21.12
Aetna OONPPO $21.12
Aetna OONPOS $21.12
Aetna ASAHMO $22.84
Aetna ASAPPO $22.84
Aetna ASAPOS $22.84
United OptionsPPO $34.12
Humana HMO $37.65
Humana PPO $37.65
Evry Health BroadNetwork $55.44
BCBS Traditional $71.08
United GlobalAppendix $91.39
Coventry National First Health COMM $108.25
Curative Administrators COMM not published by hospital

Visitor-reported prices

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Dch validity tests at other Texas hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Baylor St Luke's Medical Center Houston $13.65 $2.51 – $39.00
HCA HOUSTON WEST HOUSTON $187.00 $2.86 – $13.94
St. Luke's Health - The Vintage Hospital Houston $13.65 $2.51 – $39.00
HCA HOUSTON TOMBALL HOUSTON not published $2.92 – $13.94
BAYLOR UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER Dallas $35.80 $2.92 – $44.75
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BRENHAM Brenham $19.38 $3.99 – $29.07
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BUDA Suite 110 $24.61 $2.92 – $30.76
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - CENTENNIAL Frisco $35.80 $2.92 – $44.75

All Texas hospitals for this procedure →