Consultation pathology during surgery 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.

$33.84 with United vs $554.74 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
United SmallGroup $33.84
United AllPayerAppendix $33.84
United NarrowNetworkIndivExchange $33.84
BCBS MyBlueHealth $67.53
BCBS BAV $74.55
BCBS HMO $93.27
Cigna CSN $99.20
BCBS EPOSOA $99.96
BCBS PPO $106.64
Cigna OpenAccessPlus $107.45
Cigna PPO $127.84
Aetna QHPExchange $133.95
Aetna NBHMO $178.13
Aetna NBPPO $178.13
Aetna NBPOS $178.13
Aetna COMMPOS $189.25
Aetna COMMPPO $189.25
Aetna COMMHMO $189.25
Aetna OONPPO $222.32
Aetna OONPOS $222.32
Aetna OONHMO $222.32
Aetna ASAPPO $240.38
Aetna ASAPOS $240.38
Aetna ASAHMO $240.38
Humana PPO $554.74
Humana HMO $554.74
Curative Administrators COMM not published by hospital

Visitor-reported prices

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Consultation pathology during surgery at other Texas hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
HCA HOUSTON MEDICAL CENTER Houston $97.00 $33.84 – $554.74
Baylor St Luke's Medical Center Houston $58.10 $40.12 – $166.00
St. Luke's Health - The Vintage Hospital Houston $58.10 $44.82 – $166.00
HCA HOUSTON TOMBALL HOUSTON $97.29 $33.84 – $554.74
BAYLOR UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER Dallas $134.66 $35.00 – $168.32
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BRENHAM Brenham $45.01 $9.26 – $151.53
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BUDA Suite 110 $34.61 $6.92 – $151.53
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - CENTENNIAL Frisco $134.66 $35.00 – $168.32

All Texas hospitals for this procedure →