Contrast x-ray of ankle 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.

Full explanation →

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

$125.74 with Texas Health Network vs $1,393.75 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
Texas Health Network MCD $125.74
Texas Childrens Health Plans STARKIDS $128.31
Amerigroup MCDCHIPBH $128.31
Texas Childrens Health Plans STAR $128.31
Amerigroup MGMCD $128.31
Community Health Choice MCD STAR+PLUS $130.31
Community Health Choice MCD CHIP $130.31
Community Health Choice MCD CHIPPerinatal $130.31
Community Health Choice MCD STAR $130.31
United MGMCD $132.92
Aetna Better Health MGMCD $140.73
Molina Healthcare STARPLUS $141.14
Molina Healthcare CHIP $141.14
Molina Healthcare STAR $141.14
Molina Healthcare STARKIDS $141.14
Humana MCD $160.39
Cigna CSN $374.78
Cigna OpenAccessPlus $405.59
Cigna PPO $482.14
Aetna QHPExchange $637.13
BCBS MyBlueHealth $672.06
United NarrowNetworkIndivExchange $699.43
BCBS BAV $725.51
United AllPayerAppendix $828.27
United SmallGroup $828.27
Aetna NBPPO $846.81
Aetna NBPOS $846.81
Aetna NBHMO $846.81
Aetna COMMPPO $900.80
Aetna COMMPOS $900.80
Aetna COMMHMO $900.80
Aetna OONPPO $1,059.18
Aetna OONHMO $1,059.18
Aetna OONPOS $1,059.18
Aetna ASAPOS $1,144.67
Aetna ASAHMO $1,144.67
Aetna ASAPPO $1,144.67
BCBS HMO $1,298.29
BCBS EPOSOA $1,347.93
Humana HMO $1,366.02
Humana PPO $1,366.02
BCBS PPO $1,393.75

Visitor-reported prices

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Contrast x-ray of ankle at other Texas hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
HCA HOUSTON MEDICAL CENTER Houston $3,250.63 $130.31 – $672.06
Baylor St Luke's Medical Center Houston $410.20 $128.31 – $1,172.00
St. Luke's Health - The Vintage Hospital Houston $410.20 $93.76 – $1,172.00
HCA HOUSTON TOMBALL HOUSTON $1,224.32 $128.31 – $672.06
BAYLOR UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER Dallas $495.58 $128.31 – $952.69
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BRENHAM Brenham $923.65 $190.12 – $1,385.48
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BUDA Suite 110 $969.83 $128.31 – $1,212.29
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - CENTENNIAL Frisco $495.58 $128.31 – $952.69

All Texas hospitals for this procedure →