Upper Back (Thoracic Spine) MRI (with and without contrast) 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.

$335.14 with Community Health Choice MCD vs $4,682.98 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
Community Health Choice MCD STAR $335.14
Community Health Choice MCD CHIP $335.14
Community Health Choice MCD CHIPPerinatal $335.14
Community Health Choice MCD STAR+PLUS $335.14
United MGMCD $341.84
Superior Health Plan STARKids $344.99
Superior Health Plan STARPLUS $344.99
Superior Health Plan CHIP $344.99
Superior Health Plan CHPFC $344.99
Superior Health Plan STAR $344.99
Aetna Better Health MGMCD $361.95
Molina Healthcare STAR $363.50
Molina Healthcare STARKIDS $363.50
Molina Healthcare CHIP $363.50
Molina Healthcare STARPLUS $363.50
Humana MCD $413.06
United NarrowNetworkIndivExchange $699.43
BCBS MyBlueHealth $820.98
United AllPayerAppendix $828.27
United SmallGroup $828.27
BCBS BAV $946.99
United OptionsPPO $965.98
Aetna QHPExchange $1,210.00
Aetna ASAPPO $1,301.00
BCBS HMO $1,439.57
BCBS EPOSOA $1,535.04
Aetna NBPPO $1,605.00
Aetna NBPOS $1,605.00
Aetna NBHMO $1,605.00
BCBS PPO $1,626.68
Aetna COMMHMO $1,706.00
Aetna COMMPOS $1,706.00
Aetna COMMPPO $1,706.00
Aetna OONHMO $2,007.00
Aetna OONPOS $2,007.00
Aetna OONPPO $2,007.00
BCBS Traditional $2,012.45
Cigna CSN $2,127.00
Aetna ASAPOS $2,168.00
Aetna ASAHMO $2,168.00
Christus (USFHP) TRICARE $2,299.94
Cigna OpenAccessPlus $2,304.00
United GlobalAppendix $2,587.44
Cigna PPO $2,739.00
Coventry National First Health COMM $3,064.68
Humana HMO $4,682.98
Humana PPO $4,682.98

Visitor-reported prices

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Upper Back (Thoracic Spine) MRI (with and without contrast) at other Texas hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Baylor St Luke's Medical Center Houston $2,984.45 $330.45 – $8,527.00
St. Luke's Health - The Vintage Hospital Houston $2,984.45 $330.45 – $8,527.00
HCA HOUSTON WEST HOUSTON not published $323.84 – $763.70
Adventhealth Rollins Brook Lampasas $4,609.30 $1,779.42 – $1,779.42
BAYLOR UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER Dallas $3,957.73 $330.45 – $4,947.16
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BRENHAM Brenham $3,855.61 $494.01 – $5,783.41
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BUDA Suite 110 $3,855.61 $330.45 – $4,819.51
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - CENTENNIAL Frisco $3,957.73 $330.45 – $4,947.16

All Texas hospitals for this procedure →