Brain MRI (without contrast) at HCA HOUSTON WEST

12141 RICHMOND AVENUE, HOUSTON, TX · HCA Houston Healthcare · · NPI 1275580938

Source: hospital's published price file ↗ · Published May 14, 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.

$198.11 with Texas Health Network vs $14,267.70 with Affiliated PPO — 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
Texas Health Network MCD $198.11
Amerigroup MGMCD $202.15
Texas Childrens Health Plans STARKIDS $202.15
Texas Childrens Health Plans STAR $202.15
Amerigroup MCDCHIPBH $202.15
Community Health Choice MCD CHIPPerinatal $204.15
Community Health Choice MCD STAR $204.15
Community Health Choice MCD CHIP $204.15
Community Health Choice MCD STAR+PLUS $204.15
United MGMCD $208.23
Aetna Better Health MGMCD $220.48
Molina Healthcare STARPLUS $222.37
Molina Healthcare CHIP $222.37
Molina Healthcare STAR $222.37
Molina Healthcare STARKIDS $222.37
Humana MCD $252.69
United NarrowNetworkIndivExchange $437.25
BCBS MyBlueHealth $466.08
United AllPayerAppendix $517.79
United SmallGroup $517.79
BCBS BAV $577.94
BCBS HMO $878.56
BCBS EPOSOA $922.84
Superior Health Plan CHPFC $951.18
Superior Health Plan CHIP $951.18
Superior Health Plan STARKids $951.18
Superior Health Plan STARPLUS $951.18
Superior Health Plan STAR $951.18
BCBS PPO $964.79
Aetna QHPExchange $1,210.00
Aetna ASAPPO $1,301.00
Aetna NBPPO $1,605.00
Aetna NBHMO $1,605.00
Aetna NBPOS $1,605.00
Aetna COMMPOS $1,706.00
Aetna COMMPPO $1,706.00
Aetna COMMHMO $1,706.00
Aetna OONHMO $2,007.00
Aetna OONPPO $2,007.00
Aetna OONPOS $2,007.00
Cigna CSN $2,127.00
Aetna ASAHMO $2,168.00
Aetna ASAPOS $2,168.00
Cigna OpenAccessPlus $2,304.00
Texas Childrens Health Plans CHIP $2,631.60
United OptionsPPO $2,663.30
Cigna PPO $2,739.00
Humana HMO $2,751.54
Humana PPO $2,751.54
Texas Workforce Commission WCOMP $3,804.72
BCBS Traditional $5,548.55
Christus (USFHP) TRICARE $6,341.20
HealthSmart Preferred Care ACCEL $6,816.79
United GlobalAppendix $7,133.85
Fidelis SecureCare of TX MGMCR $7,133.85
Coventry National First Health COMM $8,449.65
Physicians Cooperative of Texas WC $8,719.15
Rockport Workers Comp COMM $8,719.15
Triumph COMM $9,511.80
National Healthcare Solutions COMM $9,511.80
SouthWest Medical WORKERSCOMP $9,511.80
Independent Medical System COMM $9,511.80
Coastal Comp COMM $10,304.45
Multiplan PHCSPrimaryNetwork $11,889.75
Cigna Behavioral Health COMMBH $12,682.40
HealthSmart Preferred Care PPO $12,999.46
Multiplan ComplementaryNetwork $13,475.05
Physicians, INC COMM $13,475.05
HealthSmart Preferred Care ACCOUNTABLEPPO $13,475.05
Affiliated PPO COMM $14,267.70

Visitor-reported prices

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Brain MRI (without contrast) at other Texas hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Baylor St Luke's Medical Center Houston $1,647.80 $202.15 – $4,708.00
St. Luke's Health - The Vintage Hospital Houston $1,647.80 $202.15 – $4,708.00
HCA HOUSTON TOMBALL HOUSTON $18,251.80 $202.15 – $501.04
HCA HOUSTON MEDICAL CENTER Houston not published $204.15 – $501.04
Adventhealth Rollins Brook Lampasas $4,391.63 $1,085.97 – $1,085.97
BAYLOR UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER Dallas $2,189.86 $202.15 – $2,737.32
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BRENHAM Brenham $2,260.29 $314.76 – $3,390.43
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BUDA Suite 110 $2,556.77 $202.15 – $3,195.96

All Texas hospitals for this procedure →