Consultation pathology during surgery cytological exam initial site 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

$1,081.00

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.

$1,081.00

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.

$64.86 with Superior Health Plan vs $2,003.96 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
Superior Health Plan STAR $64.86 ↓ -94%
Superior Health Plan STARPLUS $64.86 ↓ -94%
Superior Health Plan STARKids $64.86 ↓ -94%
Superior Health Plan CHIP $64.86 ↓ -94%
Superior Health Plan CHPFC $64.86 ↓ -94%
Aetna QHPExchange $123.78 ↓ -89%
Cigna CSN $133.54 ↓ -88%
Community Health Choice MCD STAR+PLUS $140.53 ↓ -87%
Community Health Choice MCD STAR $140.53 ↓ -87%
Community Health Choice MCD CHIPPerinatal $140.53 ↓ -87%
Community Health Choice MCD CHIP $140.53 ↓ -87%
Cigna OpenAccessPlus $144.64 ↓ -87%
Amerigroup MGMCD $151.34 ↓ -86%
Amerigroup MCDCHIPBH $151.34 ↓ -86%
Aetna NBPOS $164.61 ↓ -85%
Aetna NBPPO $164.61 ↓ -85%
Aetna NBHMO $164.61 ↓ -85%
Cigna PPO $172.09 ↓ -84%
Aetna COMMPOS $174.88 ↓ -84%
Aetna COMMPPO $174.88 ↓ -84%
Aetna COMMHMO $174.88 ↓ -84%
Texas Childrens Health Plans CHIP $179.45 ↓ -83%
United OptionsPPO $181.61 ↓ -83%
Aetna OONHMO $205.44 ↓ -81%
Aetna OONPOS $205.44 ↓ -81%
Aetna OONPPO $205.44 ↓ -81%
Oscar HIX $210.79 ↓ -81%
Aetna ASAHMO $222.13 ↓ -79%
Aetna ASAPPO $222.13 ↓ -79%
Aetna ASAPOS $222.13 ↓ -79%
Humana PPO $255.14 ↓ -76%
Humana HMO $255.14 ↓ -76%
Texas Childrens Health Plans STAR $256.20 ↓ -76%
Texas Childrens Health Plans STARKIDS $256.20 ↓ -76%
Texas Workforce Commission WCOMP $259.44 ↓ -76%
Healthcare Highways NarrowNetwork $275.65 ↓ -75%
Evry Health BroadNetwork $295.11 ↓ -73%
Imagine Health PPO $378.35 ↓ -65%
BCBS Traditional $378.35 ↓ -65%
Christus (USFHP) TRICARE $432.40 ↓ -60%
HealthSmart Preferred Care ACCEL $464.83 ↓ -57%
Fidelis SecureCare of TX MGMCR $486.45 ↓ -55%
United GlobalAppendix $486.45 ↓ -55%
Averde Health Commercial $486.45 ↓ -55%
Coventry National First Health COMM $576.17 ↓ -47%
Physicians Cooperative of Texas WC $594.55 ↓ -45%
Rockport Workers Comp COMM $594.55 ↓ -45%
Triumph COMM $648.60 ↓ -40%
Independent Medical System COMM $648.60 ↓ -40%
National Healthcare Solutions COMM $648.60 ↓ -40%
SouthWest Medical WORKERSCOMP $648.60 ↓ -40%
United NarrowNetworkIndivExchange $656.15 ↓ -39%
United AllPayerAppendix $656.15 ↓ -39%
United SmallGroup $656.15 ↓ -39%
Coastal Comp COMM $702.65 ↓ -35%
Multiplan PHCSPrimaryNetwork $810.75 ↓ -25%
Cigna Behavioral Health COMMBH $864.80 ↓ -20%
HealthSmart Preferred Care PPO $886.42 ↓ -18%
HealthSmart Preferred Care ACCOUNTABLEPPO $918.85 ↓ -15%
Multiplan ComplementaryNetwork $918.85 ↓ -15%
Physicians, INC COMM $918.85 ↓ -15%
Affiliated PPO COMM $972.90 ↓ -10%
BCBS MyBlueHealth $1,268.96 ↑ +17%
BCBS BAV $1,400.89 ↑ +30%
BCBS HMO $1,752.68 ↑ +62%
BCBS EPOSOA $1,878.32 ↑ +74%
BCBS PPO $2,003.96 ↑ +85%
Curative Administrators COMM not published by hospital

Visitor-reported prices

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Consultation pathology during surgery cytological exam initial site at other Texas hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Baylor St Luke's Medical Center Houston $848.75 $42.08 – $2,425.00
St. Luke's Health - The Vintage Hospital Houston $848.75 $78.37 – $2,425.00
HCA HOUSTON MEDICAL CENTER Houston not published $123.78 – $1,268.96
HCA HOUSTON TOMBALL HOUSTON not published $123.78 – $1,268.96
BAYLOR UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER Dallas $461.95 $35.00 – $2,130.15
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BRENHAM Brenham $519.69 $36.00 – $2,130.15
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BUDA Suite 110 $519.69 $36.00 – $2,130.15
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - CENTENNIAL Frisco $461.95 $35.00 – $2,130.15

All Texas hospitals for this procedure →