Caloric vstblr test w/rec 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.

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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.

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The hospital's undiscounted list price — almost no one pays this.

$12.66 with BCBS vs $45.58 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.

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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
BCBS MyBlueHealth $12.66
BCBS BAV $13.96
BCBS HMO $17.47
BCBS EPOSOA $19.64
BCBS PPO $21.75
Humana PPO $45.58
Humana HMO $45.58

Visitor-reported prices

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Caloric vstblr test w/rec at other Texas hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
HCA HOUSTON MEDICAL CENTER Houston not published $12.66 – $45.58
HCA HOUSTON TOMBALL HOUSTON not published $12.66 – $45.58
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BRENHAM Brenham $620.60 $16.34 – $930.91
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BUDA Suite 110 $559.71 $16.34 – $699.64
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - COLLEGE STATION College Station $620.60 $19.96 – $930.91
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE CONTINUING CARE HOSPITAL Temple $620.60 $320.65 – $930.91
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE EMERGENCY MEDICAL CENTER - CEDAR PARK Cedar Park $559.71 $16.34 – $839.57
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER HILLCREST Waco $620.60 $16.34 – $775.75

All Texas hospitals for this procedure →