Ultrasound guidance for vascular access 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.

$34.88 with BCBS vs $1,630.40 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
BCBS MyBlueHealth $34.88
BCBS BAV $44.20
BCBS HMO $67.39
BCBS EPOSOA $72.14
BCBS PPO $76.70
Superior Health Plan STARPLUS $122.28
Superior Health Plan CHIP $122.28
Superior Health Plan CHPFC $122.28
Superior Health Plan STAR $122.28
Superior Health Plan STARKids $122.28
Aetna QHPExchange $153.35
Aetna NBPPO $203.82
Aetna NBHMO $203.82
Aetna NBPOS $203.82
Aetna COMMHMO $216.82
Aetna COMMPOS $216.82
Aetna COMMPPO $216.82
Aetna OONPPO $254.94
Aetna OONHMO $254.94
Aetna OONPOS $254.94
Community Health Choice MCD CHIPPerinatal $264.94
Community Health Choice MCD STAR+PLUS $264.94
Community Health Choice MCD STAR $264.94
Community Health Choice MCD CHIP $264.94
Aetna ASAHMO $275.52
Aetna ASAPOS $275.52
Aetna ASAPPO $275.52
Humana HMO $298.26
Humana PPO $298.26
United OptionsPPO $342.38
Healthcare Highways NarrowNetwork $519.69
Molina Healthcare HIX $550.26
Evry Health BroadNetwork $556.37
BCBS Traditional $713.30
Christus (USFHP) TRICARE $815.20
Curative Administrators COMM $815.20
United GlobalAppendix $917.10
Coventry National First Health COMM $1,086.25
TriWest Healthcare Alliance FED $1,630.40

Visitor-reported prices

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Ultrasound guidance for vascular access at other Texas hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Baylor St Luke's Medical Center Houston $952.70 $23.78 – $2,722.00
St. Luke's Health - The Vintage Hospital Houston $952.70 $27.95 – $2,722.00
HCA HOUSTON WEST HOUSTON not published $34.88 – $298.26
HCA HOUSTON TOMBALL HOUSTON not published $34.88 – $298.26
Adventhealth Rollins Brook Lampasas $1,631.77 $76.31 – $76.31
BAYLOR UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER Dallas $631.95 $39.64 – $895.26
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BRENHAM Brenham $621.95 $66.60 – $932.93
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BUDA Suite 110 $605.63 $66.60 – $757.04

All Texas hospitals for this procedure →