Surgical pathology level 3 gross & microscopic examination 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.

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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.

$49.76 with United vs $716.27 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
United NarrowNetworkIndivExchange $49.76
United AllPayerAppendix $49.76
United SmallGroup $49.76
Superior Health Plan CHIP $80.63
Superior Health Plan STARPLUS $80.63
Superior Health Plan STARKids $80.63
Superior Health Plan STAR $80.63
Superior Health Plan CHPFC $80.63
BCBS MyBlueHealth $99.93
BCBS BAV $110.32
Aetna QHPExchange $115.92
Cigna CSN $130.77
BCBS HMO $138.02
Cigna OpenAccessPlus $141.64
BCBS EPOSOA $147.92
Aetna NBPOS $154.16
Aetna NBHMO $154.16
Aetna NBPPO $154.16
BCBS PPO $157.81
Aetna COMMPOS $163.78
Aetna COMMHMO $163.78
Aetna COMMPPO $163.78
Cigna PPO $168.52
Community Health Choice MCD CHIPPerinatal $174.70
Community Health Choice MCD CHIP $174.70
Community Health Choice MCD STAR $174.70
Community Health Choice MCD STAR+PLUS $174.70
Aetna OONPOS $192.40
Aetna OONHMO $192.40
Aetna OONPPO $192.40
Aetna ASAHMO $208.03
Aetna ASAPOS $208.03
Aetna ASAPPO $208.03
United OptionsPPO $225.77
Oscar HIX $262.05
Humana PPO $299.06
Humana HMO $299.06
Healthcare Highways NarrowNetwork $342.68
Evry Health BroadNetwork $366.87
BCBS Traditional $470.35
Christus (USFHP) TRICARE $537.54
United GlobalAppendix $604.73
Coventry National First Health COMM $716.27
Curative Administrators COMM not published by hospital

Visitor-reported prices

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Surgical pathology level 3 gross & microscopic examination at other Texas hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Baylor St Luke's Medical Center Houston $322.70 $59.36 – $922.00
HCA HOUSTON WEST HOUSTON $1,167.00 $49.76 – $299.06
St. Luke's Health - The Vintage Hospital Houston $322.70 $67.05 – $922.00
HCA HOUSTON TOMBALL HOUSTON not published $49.76 – $299.06
Adventhealth Rollins Brook Lampasas $659.75 $190.46 – $190.46
BAYLOR UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER Dallas $239.50 $35.00 – $299.37
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BRENHAM Brenham $266.74 $36.00 – $400.10
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BUDA Suite 110 $217.32 $36.00 – $271.65

All Texas hospitals for this procedure →