Cytopath smear other source 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

$491.00

Cash price

?

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.

$491.00

Gross charge

?

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.

$24.67 with United vs $474.46 with Humana — same scan, same building. Share

Negotiated rates by payer
?

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
?

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
?

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 AllPayerAppendix $24.67 ↓ -95%
United NarrowNetworkIndivExchange $24.67 ↓ -95%
United SmallGroup $24.67 ↓ -95%
Superior Health Plan STAR $29.46 ↓ -94%
Superior Health Plan CHPFC $29.46 ↓ -94%
Superior Health Plan STARKids $29.46 ↓ -94%
Superior Health Plan CHIP $29.46 ↓ -94%
Superior Health Plan STARPLUS $29.46 ↓ -94%
BCBS MyBlueHealth $46.44 ↓ -91%
BCBS BAV $51.27 ↓ -90%
Community Health Choice MCD CHIP $63.83 ↓ -87%
Community Health Choice MCD STAR+PLUS $63.83 ↓ -87%
Community Health Choice MCD STAR $63.83 ↓ -87%
Community Health Choice MCD CHIPPerinatal $63.83 ↓ -87%
BCBS HMO $64.14 ↓ -87%
Amerigroup MCDCHIPBH $68.74 ↓ -86%
BCBS EPOSOA $68.74 ↓ -86%
Amerigroup MGMCD $68.74 ↓ -86%
BCBS PPO $73.34 ↓ -85%
Texas Childrens Health Plans CHIP $81.51 ↓ -83%
United OptionsPPO $82.49 ↓ -83%
Oscar HIX $95.75 ↓ -80%
Texas Childrens Health Plans STARKIDS $116.37 ↓ -76%
Texas Childrens Health Plans STAR $116.37 ↓ -76%
Texas Workforce Commission WCOMP $117.84 ↓ -76%
Healthcare Highways NarrowNetwork $125.20 ↓ -75%
Evry Health BroadNetwork $134.04 ↓ -73%
Imagine Health PPO $171.85 ↓ -65%
BCBS Traditional $171.85 ↓ -65%
Aetna QHPExchange $177.23 ↓ -64%
Christus (USFHP) TRICARE $196.40 ↓ -60%
Cigna CSN $207.15 ↓ -58%
HealthSmart Preferred Care ACCEL $211.13 ↓ -57%
Averde Health Commercial $220.95 ↓ -55%
Fidelis SecureCare of TX MGMCR $220.95 ↓ -55%
United GlobalAppendix $220.95 ↓ -55%
Cigna OpenAccessPlus $224.37 ↓ -54%
Aetna NBPOS $235.70 ↓ -52%
Aetna NBPPO $235.70 ↓ -52%
Aetna NBHMO $235.70 ↓ -52%
Aetna COMMPOS $250.40 ↓ -49%
Aetna COMMPPO $250.40 ↓ -49%
Aetna COMMHMO $250.40 ↓ -49%
Coventry National First Health COMM $261.70 ↓ -47%
Cigna PPO $266.95 ↓ -46%
Physicians Cooperative of Texas WC $270.05 ↓ -45%
Rockport Workers Comp COMM $270.05 ↓ -45%
Aetna OONHMO $294.16 ↓ -40%
Aetna OONPOS $294.16 ↓ -40%
Aetna OONPPO $294.16 ↓ -40%
Triumph COMM $294.60 ↓ -40%
National Healthcare Solutions COMM $294.60 ↓ -40%
Independent Medical System COMM $294.60 ↓ -40%
SouthWest Medical WORKERSCOMP $294.60 ↓ -40%
Aetna ASAPOS $318.06 ↓ -35%
Aetna ASAPPO $318.06 ↓ -35%
Aetna ASAHMO $318.06 ↓ -35%
Coastal Comp COMM $319.15 ↓ -35%
Multiplan PHCSPrimaryNetwork $368.25 ↓ -25%
Cigna Behavioral Health COMMBH $392.80 ↓ -20%
HealthSmart Preferred Care PPO $402.62 ↓ -18%
Multiplan ComplementaryNetwork $417.35 ↓ -15%
HealthSmart Preferred Care ACCOUNTABLEPPO $417.35 ↓ -15%
Physicians, INC COMM $417.35 ↓ -15%
Affiliated PPO COMM $441.90 ↓ -10%
Humana PPO $474.46 ↓ -3%
Humana HMO $474.46 ↓ -3%
Curative Administrators COMM not published by hospital

Visitor-reported prices

visitor-reported
Report what you paid sign in to post

Comments

Add a comment sign in to post

Cytopath smear other source at other Texas hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
HCA HOUSTON MEDICAL CENTER Houston not published $24.67 – $474.46
HCA HOUSTON TOMBALL HOUSTON not published $24.67 – $474.46
BAYLOR UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER Dallas $85.80 $24.31 – $107.25
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BRENHAM Brenham $85.80 $17.66 – $128.70
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BUDA Suite 110 $85.80 $17.16 – $107.25
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - CENTENNIAL Frisco $85.80 $22.88 – $107.25
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - COLLEGE STATION College Station $85.80 $27.54 – $128.70
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE CONTINUING CARE HOSPITAL Temple $85.80 $26.00 – $128.70

All Texas hospitals for this procedure →