X-ray thoracolumbar spine including skull cervical & sacral spine 2-3 views 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.

$70.50 with Community Health Choice MCD vs $806.84 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 $70.50
Community Health Choice MCD STAR+PLUS $70.50
Community Health Choice MCD CHIPPerinatal $70.50
Community Health Choice MCD CHIP $70.50
Superior Health Plan STARKids $71.73
Superior Health Plan STARPLUS $71.73
Superior Health Plan CHIP $71.73
Superior Health Plan CHPFC $71.73
Superior Health Plan STAR $71.73
United MGMCD $71.91
Aetna Better Health MGMCD $76.14
Molina Healthcare CHIP $77.55
Molina Healthcare STAR $77.55
Molina Healthcare STARKIDS $77.55
Molina Healthcare STARPLUS $77.55
Humana MCD $88.13
BCBS MyBlueHealth $197.26
United OptionsPPO $200.85
Cigna CSN $201.24
United NarrowNetworkIndivExchange $207.04
Cigna OpenAccessPlus $217.79
United SmallGroup $245.18
United AllPayerAppendix $245.18
BCBS BAV $249.94
Cigna PPO $258.89
Healthcare Highways NarrowNetwork $304.86
Evry Health BroadNetwork $326.38
Aetna QHPExchange $328.37
BCBS HMO $381.07
BCBS EPOSOA $407.97
BCBS Traditional $418.43
BCBS PPO $433.75
Aetna NBHMO $436.44
Aetna NBPPO $436.44
Aetna NBPOS $436.44
Aetna COMMHMO $464.26
Aetna COMMPOS $464.26
Aetna COMMPPO $464.26
Curative Administrators COMM $478.21
Christus (USFHP) TRICARE $478.21
United GlobalAppendix $537.98
Aetna OONPOS $545.89
Aetna OONPPO $545.89
Aetna OONHMO $545.89
Aetna ASAHMO $589.95
Aetna ASAPOS $589.95
Aetna ASAPPO $589.95
Coventry National First Health COMM $637.21
Humana HMO $806.84
Humana PPO $806.84

Visitor-reported prices

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X-ray thoracolumbar spine including skull cervical & sacral spine 2-3 views at other Texas hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Baylor St Luke's Medical Center Houston $1,065.40 $70.50 – $3,044.00
St. Luke's Health - The Vintage Hospital Houston $1,065.40 $70.50 – $3,044.00
HCA HOUSTON TOMBALL HOUSTON $1,850.26 $70.50 – $328.37
BAYLOR UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER Dallas $464.96 $70.50 – $581.20
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BRENHAM Brenham $242.35 $49.88 – $363.52
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BUDA Suite 110 $453.73 $70.50 – $567.16
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - CENTENNIAL Frisco $464.96 $70.50 – $581.20
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - COLLEGE STATION College Station $242.35 $75.44 – $363.52

All Texas hospitals for this procedure →