Skull X-ray (1 to 3 views) at HCA HOUSTON MEDICAL CENTER

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

Source: hospital's published price file ↗ · Published Sep 1, 2026 · Ingested Sep 24, 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.

$36.09 with Community Health Choice MCD vs $1,819.59 with Multiplan — 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 STAR+PLUS $36.09 —
Amerigroup MCDCHIPBH $36.09 —
Amerigroup MGMCD $36.09 —
Community Health Choice MCD CHIP $36.09 —
Community Health Choice MCD CHIPPerinatal $36.09 —
Community Health Choice MCD STAR $36.09 —
United MGMCD $36.81 —
Aetna Better Health MGMCD $38.98 —
Molina Healthcare STARKIDS $39.70 —
Molina Healthcare STARPLUS $39.70 —
Molina Healthcare STAR $39.70 —
Molina Healthcare CHIP $39.70 —
Humana MCD $45.11 —
Cigna CSN $99.26 —
Cigna OpenAccessPlus $107.43 —
Cigna PPO $127.70 —
Superior Health Plan STARKids $128.44 —
Superior Health Plan STAR $128.44 —
Superior Health Plan STARPLUS $128.44 —
Superior Health Plan CHPFC $128.44 —
Superior Health Plan CHIP $128.44 —
BCBS MyBlueHealth $197.26 —
United NarrowNetworkIndivExchange $207.04 —
Aetna NBHMO $223.86 —
Aetna NBPOS $223.86 —
Aetna NBPPO $223.86 —
Aetna COMMHMO $238.19 —
Aetna COMMPOS $238.19 —
Aetna COMMPPO $238.19 —
United SmallGroup $245.18 —
United AllPayerAppendix $245.18 —
BCBS BAV $249.94 —
Aetna OONHMO $280.05 —
Aetna OONPOS $280.05 —
Aetna OONPPO $280.05 —
Aetna ASAPPO $302.80 —
Aetna ASAHMO $302.80 —
Aetna ASAPOS $302.80 —
United OptionsPPO $359.64 —
BCBS HMO $381.07 —
BCBS EPOSOA $407.97 —
BCBS PPO $433.75 —
Healthcare Highways NarrowNetwork $545.88 —
Evry Health BroadNetwork $584.41 —
Humana PPO $709.21 —
Humana HMO $709.21 —
BCBS Traditional $749.24 —
Curative Administrators COMM $856.28 —
Christus (USFHP) TRICARE $856.28 —
United GlobalAppendix $963.31 —
Coventry National First Health COMM $1,108.88 —
Multiplan PHCSPrimaryNetwork $1,605.52 —
Multiplan ComplementaryNetwork $1,819.59 —

Visitor-reported prices

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Skull X-ray (1 to 3 views) at other Texas hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Baylor St Luke's Medical Center Houston $407.05 $36.09 – $1,163.00
St. Luke's Health - The Vintage Hospital Houston $407.05 $36.09 – $1,163.00
Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital Houston $729.50 $105.02 – $204.79
Houston Methodist Hospital Houston $283.00 $105.02 – $420.09
Houston Methodist West Hospital Houston $729.50 $105.02 – $420.09
HCA HOUSTON WEST HOUSTON not published $35.37 – $223.86
HCA HOUSTON TOMBALL HOUSTON not published $36.09 – $223.86
Adventhealth Rollins Brook Lampasas $615.53 $431.51 – $431.51

All Texas hospitals for this procedure →