Ultrasound elastography parenchyma 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

$697.88

Cash price

?

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.

$697.88

Gross charge

?

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.

$41.87 with Superior Health Plan vs $815.48 with Aetna — same scan, same building. Share

Negotiated rates by payer
?

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
?

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
?

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 $41.87 ↓ -94%
Superior Health Plan STARPLUS $41.87 ↓ -94%
Superior Health Plan CHPFC $41.87 ↓ -94%
Superior Health Plan STAR $41.87 ↓ -94%
Superior Health Plan STARKids $41.87 ↓ -94%
Community Health Choice MCD CHIP $104.59 ↓ -85%
Community Health Choice MCD STAR+PLUS $104.59 ↓ -85%
Community Health Choice MCD STAR $104.59 ↓ -85%
Community Health Choice MCD CHIPPerinatal $104.59 ↓ -85%
United MGMCD $106.68 ↓ -85%
Aetna Better Health MGMCD $112.96 ↓ -84%
Molina Healthcare STAR $115.05 ↓ -84%
Molina Healthcare CHIP $115.05 ↓ -84%
Molina Healthcare STARPLUS $115.05 ↓ -84%
Molina Healthcare STARKIDS $115.05 ↓ -84%
United OptionsPPO $117.24 ↓ -83%
Humana MCD $130.74 ↓ -81%
Healthcare Highways NarrowNetwork $177.96 ↓ -74%
Evry Health BroadNetwork $190.52 ↓ -73%
BCBS MyBlueHealth $197.26 ↓ -72%
United NarrowNetworkIndivExchange $207.04 ↓ -70%
Humana PPO $222.69 ↓ -68%
Humana HMO $222.69 ↓ -68%
BCBS Traditional $244.26 ↓ -65%
United AllPayerAppendix $245.18 ↓ -65%
United SmallGroup $245.18 ↓ -65%
BCBS BAV $249.94 ↓ -64%
Curative Administrators COMM $279.15 ↓ -60%
Christus (USFHP) TRICARE $279.15 ↓ -60%
United GlobalAppendix $314.05 ↓ -55%
Coventry National First Health COMM $371.97 ↓ -47%
BCBS HMO $381.07 ↓ -45%
BCBS EPOSOA $407.97 ↓ -42%
BCBS PPO $433.75 ↓ -38%
Aetna QHPExchange $453.90 ↓ -35%
Aetna NBHMO $603.28 ↓ -14%
Aetna NBPOS $603.28 ↓ -14%
Aetna NBPPO $603.28 ↓ -14%
Aetna COMMPPO $641.74 ↓ -8%
Aetna COMMHMO $641.74 ↓ -8%
Aetna COMMPOS $641.74 ↓ -8%
Aetna OONPPO $754.57 ↑ +8%
Aetna OONHMO $754.57 ↑ +8%
Aetna OONPOS $754.57 ↑ +8%
Aetna ASAPPO $815.48 ↑ +17%
Aetna ASAHMO $815.48 ↑ +17%
Aetna ASAPOS $815.48 ↑ +17%

Visitor-reported prices

visitor-reported
Report what you paid sign in to post

Comments

Add a comment sign in to post

Ultrasound elastography parenchyma at other Texas hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Baylor St Luke's Medical Center Houston $899.85 $104.59 – $2,571.00
St. Luke's Health - The Vintage Hospital Houston $899.85 $104.59 – $2,571.00
HCA HOUSTON WEST HOUSTON not published $102.50 – $453.90
HCA HOUSTON TOMBALL HOUSTON not published $104.59 – $453.90
BAYLOR UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER Dallas $232.30 $99.77 – $290.38
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BRENHAM Brenham $399.40 $82.21 – $599.10
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BUDA Suite 110 $353.09 $99.77 – $441.36
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - CENTENNIAL Frisco $232.30 $99.77 – $290.38

All Texas hospitals for this procedure →