X-ray surgical specimen at HCA HOUSTON TOMBALL

5003 CYPRESS CREEK PKWY, HOUSTON, TX · HCA Houston Healthcare · · NPI 1750819025

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.

Full explanation →

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.

$42.10 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 →

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 CHIPPerinatal $42.10
Community Health Choice MCD CHIP $42.10
Community Health Choice MCD STAR+PLUS $42.10
Community Health Choice MCD STAR $42.10
Texas Childrens Healthplans MEDICAID $42.78
Texas Childrens Healthplans CHIP $42.78
United MGMCD $42.94
Aetna Better Health MGMCD $45.47
Molina Healthcare CHIP $47.06
Molina Healthcare STARPLUS $47.06
Molina Healthcare STARKIDS $47.06
Molina Healthcare STAR $47.06
Humana MCD $53.48
Superior Health Plan CHIP $75.38
Superior Health Plan STARPLUS $75.38
Superior Health Plan STARKids $75.38
Superior Health Plan STAR $75.38
Superior Health Plan CHPFC $75.38
Cigna CSN $98.06
Cigna OpenAccessPlus $106.12
Cigna PPO $126.15
Aetna QHPExchange $151.09
Humana PPO $154.38
Humana HMO $154.38
Aetna NBHMO $200.81
Aetna NBPPO $200.81
Aetna NBPOS $200.81
United OptionsPPO $211.07
Aetna COMMPOS $213.61
Aetna COMMPPO $213.61
Aetna COMMHMO $213.61
Aetna OONPPO $251.17
Aetna OONPOS $251.17
Aetna OONHMO $251.17
Aetna ASAPPO $271.44
Aetna ASAHMO $271.44
Aetna ASAPOS $271.44
Healthcare Highways NarrowNetwork $320.38
Evry Health BroadNetwork $342.99
BCBS Traditional $439.74
Coventry National First Health COMM $457.33
Christus (USFHP) TRICARE $502.56
Curative Administrators COMM $502.56
United GlobalAppendix $565.38
BCBS MyBlueHealth $847.58
United NarrowNetworkIndivExchange $917.49
BCBS BAV $1,073.92
United AllPayerAppendix $1,086.50
United SmallGroup $1,086.50
BCBS HMO $1,637.37
BCBS EPOSOA $1,815.56
BCBS PPO $1,993.74

Visitor-reported prices

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X-ray surgical specimen at other Texas hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
HCA HOUSTON MEDICAL CENTER Houston $1,549.31 $42.10 – $847.58
Baylor St Luke's Medical Center Houston $642.95 $42.10 – $1,837.00
HCA HOUSTON WEST HOUSTON $1,211.00 $41.92 – $847.58
St. Luke's Health - The Vintage Hospital Houston $642.95 $42.10 – $1,837.00
BAYLOR UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER Dallas $458.88 $42.78 – $1,366.64
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BRENHAM Brenham $638.62 $131.45 – $1,366.64
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BUDA Suite 110 $565.09 $42.78 – $1,366.64
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - CENTENNIAL Frisco $458.88 $42.78 – $1,366.64

All Texas hospitals for this procedure →