X-ray exam of middle ear at HCA HOUSTON TOMBALL
5003 CYPRESS CREEK PKWY, HOUSTON, TX · HCA Houston Healthcare · · NPI 1750819025
$1,828.88
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.
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What you pay up front if you don't use insurance.
$1,828.88
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.
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The hospital's undiscounted list price — almost no one pays this.
$61.81 with Community Health Choice MCD vs $1,993.74 with BCBS — 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 →
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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 ?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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Community Health Choice MCD | CHIPPerinatal | $61.81 | ↓ -97% |
| Community Health Choice MCD | CHIP | $61.81 | ↓ -97% |
| Community Health Choice MCD | STAR+PLUS | $61.81 | ↓ -97% |
| Community Health Choice MCD | STAR | $61.81 | ↓ -97% |
| Texas Childrens Healthplans | MEDICAID | $62.15 | ↓ -97% |
| Texas Childrens Healthplans | CHIP | $62.15 | ↓ -97% |
| United | MGMCD | $63.05 | ↓ -97% |
| Aetna Better Health | MGMCD | $66.75 | ↓ -96% |
| Molina Healthcare | CHIP | $68.37 | ↓ -96% |
| Molina Healthcare | STARPLUS | $68.37 | ↓ -96% |
| Molina Healthcare | STARKIDS | $68.37 | ↓ -96% |
| Molina Healthcare | STAR | $68.37 | ↓ -96% |
| Humana | MCD | $77.69 | ↓ -96% |
| Superior Health Plan | STAR | $109.73 | ↓ -94% |
| Superior Health Plan | STARKids | $109.73 | ↓ -94% |
| Superior Health Plan | STARPLUS | $109.73 | ↓ -94% |
| Superior Health Plan | CHIP | $109.73 | ↓ -94% |
| Superior Health Plan | CHPFC | $109.73 | ↓ -94% |
| Cigna | CSN | $162.37 | ↓ -91% |
| Cigna | OpenAccessPlus | $175.73 | ↓ -90% |
| Cigna | PPO | $208.89 | ↓ -89% |
| Aetna | QHPExchange | $264.65 | ↓ -86% |
| United | OptionsPPO | $307.25 | ↓ -83% |
| Aetna | NBHMO | $351.75 | ↓ -81% |
| Aetna | NBPOS | $351.75 | ↓ -81% |
| Aetna | NBPPO | $351.75 | ↓ -81% |
| Aetna | COMMHMO | $374.17 | ↓ -80% |
| Aetna | COMMPOS | $374.17 | ↓ -80% |
| Aetna | COMMPPO | $374.17 | ↓ -80% |
| Aetna | OONPOS | $439.96 | ↓ -76% |
| Aetna | OONHMO | $439.96 | ↓ -76% |
| Aetna | OONPPO | $439.96 | ↓ -76% |
| Healthcare Highways | NarrowNetwork | $466.36 | ↓ -75% |
| Aetna | ASAHMO | $475.47 | ↓ -74% |
| Aetna | ASAPPO | $475.47 | ↓ -74% |
| Aetna | ASAPOS | $475.47 | ↓ -74% |
| Evry Health | BroadNetwork | $499.28 | ↓ -73% |
| Humana | PPO | $570.77 | ↓ -69% |
| Humana | HMO | $570.77 | ↓ -69% |
| BCBS | Traditional | $640.11 | ↓ -65% |
| Coventry National First Health | COMM | $665.71 | ↓ -64% |
| Curative Administrators | COMM | $731.55 | ↓ -60% |
| Christus (USFHP) | TRICARE | $731.55 | ↓ -60% |
| United | GlobalAppendix | $823.00 | ↓ -55% |
| BCBS | MyBlueHealth | $847.58 | ↓ -54% |
| United | NarrowNetworkIndivExchange | $917.49 | ↓ -50% |
| BCBS | BAV | $1,073.92 | ↓ -41% |
| United | AllPayerAppendix | $1,086.50 | ↓ -41% |
| United | SmallGroup | $1,086.50 | ↓ -41% |
| BCBS | HMO | $1,637.37 | ↓ -10% |
| BCBS | EPOSOA | $1,815.56 | ↓ -1% |
| BCBS | PPO | $1,993.74 | ↑ +9% |
Visitor-reported prices
Comments
X-ray exam of middle ear at other Texas hospitals
| Hospital | City | Cash price | Negotiated range |
|---|---|---|---|
| HCA HOUSTON MEDICAL CENTER | Houston | not published | $61.81 – $847.58 |
| HCA HOUSTON WEST | HOUSTON | not published | $60.91 – $847.58 |
| BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BRENHAM | Brenham | $322.45 | $66.37 – $1,366.64 |
| BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BUDA | Suite 110 | $338.57 | $62.15 – $1,366.64 |
| BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - COLLEGE STATION | College Station | $322.45 | $66.50 – $1,366.64 |
| BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE CONTINUING CARE HOSPITAL | Temple | $322.45 | $62.15 – $1,366.64 |
| BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE EMERGENCY MEDICAL CENTER - CEDAR PARK | Cedar Park | $338.57 | $62.15 – $1,366.64 |
| BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER HILLCREST | Waco | $322.45 | $62.15 – $1,366.64 |