Echo tee guidance 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

$8,481.68

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.

$8,481.68

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.

$219.53 with Community Health Choice MCD vs $6,785.34 with TriWest Healthcare Alliance — 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 $219.53 ↓ -97%
Community Health Choice MCD STAR+PLUS $219.53 ↓ -97%
Community Health Choice MCD STAR $219.53 ↓ -97%
Community Health Choice MCD CHIP $219.53 ↓ -97%
United MGMCD $223.92 ↓ -97%
Aetna Better Health MGMCD $237.09 ↓ -97%
Molina Healthcare STARKIDS $241.85 ↓ -97%
Molina Healthcare CHIP $241.85 ↓ -97%
Molina Healthcare STARPLUS $241.85 ↓ -97%
Molina Healthcare STAR $241.85 ↓ -97%
Humana MCD $274.83 ↓ -97%
Superior Health Plan STARPLUS $508.90 ↓ -94%
Superior Health Plan CHIP $508.90 ↓ -94%
Superior Health Plan CHPFC $508.90 ↓ -94%
Superior Health Plan STAR $508.90 ↓ -94%
Superior Health Plan STARKids $508.90 ↓ -94%
BCBS MyBlueHealth $554.07 ↓ -93%
BCBS BAV $610.89 ↓ -93%
BCBS PPO $764.80 ↓ -91%
BCBS EPOSOA $764.80 ↓ -91%
BCBS HMO $764.80 ↓ -91%
Cigna CSN $1,255.29 ↓ -85%
Cigna OpenAccessPlus $1,357.07 ↓ -84%
United OptionsPPO $1,424.92 ↓ -83%
Cigna PPO $1,611.52 ↓ -81%
Oscar HIX $1,653.93 ↓ -80%
Healthcare Highways NarrowNetwork $2,162.83 ↓ -74%
Humana HMO $2,220.43 ↓ -74%
Humana PPO $2,220.43 ↓ -74%
Aetna QHPExchange $2,247.65 ↓ -73%
Molina Healthcare HIX $2,290.05 ↓ -73%
Evry Health BroadNetwork $2,315.50 ↓ -73%
Aetna NBPOS $2,722.62 ↓ -68%
Aetna NBHMO $2,722.62 ↓ -68%
Aetna NBPPO $2,722.62 ↓ -68%
Aetna COMMPOS $2,900.73 ↓ -66%
Aetna COMMPPO $2,900.73 ↓ -66%
Aetna COMMHMO $2,900.73 ↓ -66%
BCBS Traditional $2,968.59 ↓ -65%
Curative Administrators COMM $3,392.67 ↓ -60%
Christus (USFHP) TRICARE $3,392.67 ↓ -60%
Aetna OONHMO $3,401.15 ↓ -60%
Aetna OONPPO $3,401.15 ↓ -60%
Aetna OONPOS $3,401.15 ↓ -60%
Aetna ASAHMO $3,672.57 ↓ -57%
Aetna ASAPPO $3,672.57 ↓ -57%
Aetna ASAPOS $3,672.57 ↓ -57%
United GlobalAppendix $3,816.76 ↓ -55%
Coventry National First Health COMM $4,520.74 ↓ -47%
TriWest Healthcare Alliance FED $6,785.34 ↓ -20%

Visitor-reported prices

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Echo tee guidance at other Texas hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Baylor St Luke's Medical Center Houston $3,253.25 $100.00 – $9,295.00
St. Luke's Health - The Vintage Hospital Houston $3,253.25 $100.00 – $9,295.00
HCA HOUSTON TOMBALL HOUSTON $7,493.10 $219.53 – $554.07
HCA HOUSTON WEST HOUSTON not published $215.46 – $554.07
BAYLOR UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER Dallas $3,210.68 $219.86 – $4,548.46
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BRENHAM Brenham $3,967.40 $238.59 – $5,951.11
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BUDA Suite 110 $3,773.93 $219.86 – $4,717.42
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - CENTENNIAL Frisco $3,210.68 $219.86 – $4,548.46

All Texas hospitals for this procedure →