Surgical pathology level 5 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.

$153.30 with Superior Health Plan vs $1,847.62 with Humana — 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
Superior Health Plan CHIP $153.30
Superior Health Plan STARPLUS $153.30
Superior Health Plan STARKids $153.30
Superior Health Plan STAR $153.30
Superior Health Plan CHPFC $153.30
United NarrowNetworkIndivExchange $291.26
United AllPayerAppendix $291.26
United SmallGroup $291.26
Community Health Choice MCD CHIPPerinatal $332.15
Community Health Choice MCD STAR+PLUS $332.15
Community Health Choice MCD STAR $332.15
Community Health Choice MCD CHIP $332.15
United OptionsPPO $429.24
Oscar HIX $498.23
BCBS MyBlueHealth $572.49
BCBS BAV $632.00
Healthcare Highways NarrowNetwork $651.52
Evry Health BroadNetwork $697.51
Aetna QHPExchange $784.65
BCBS HMO $790.71
BCBS EPOSOA $847.40
Cigna CSN $870.11
BCBS Traditional $894.25
BCBS PPO $904.08
Cigna OpenAccessPlus $942.46
Christus (USFHP) TRICARE $1,022.00
Aetna NBPOS $1,043.48
Aetna NBPPO $1,043.48
Aetna NBHMO $1,043.48
Aetna COMMPOS $1,108.60
Aetna COMMPPO $1,108.60
Aetna COMMHMO $1,108.60
Cigna PPO $1,121.30
United GlobalAppendix $1,149.75
Aetna OONPPO $1,302.32
Aetna OONPOS $1,302.32
Aetna OONHMO $1,302.32
Coventry National First Health COMM $1,361.82
Aetna ASAPOS $1,408.13
Aetna ASAHMO $1,408.13
Aetna ASAPPO $1,408.13
Humana HMO $1,847.62
Humana PPO $1,847.62
Curative Administrators COMM not published by hospital

Visitor-reported prices

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Surgical pathology level 5 gross & microscopic examination at other Texas hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Baylor St Luke's Medical Center Houston $534.80 $138.52 – $1,528.00
HCA HOUSTON WEST HOUSTON $1,836.00 $291.26 – $1,847.62
St. Luke's Health - The Vintage Hospital Houston $534.80 $323.15 – $1,528.00
HCA HOUSTON TOMBALL HOUSTON not published $291.26 – $1,847.62
Adventhealth Rollins Brook Lampasas $1,114.69 $1,091.13 – $1,091.13
BAYLOR UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER Dallas $476.75 $35.00 – $890.45
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BRENHAM Brenham $519.16 $36.00 – $890.45
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BUDA Suite 110 $491.47 $36.00 – $890.45

All Texas hospitals for this procedure →