Lower Back (Lumbar Spine) CT scan (with and without contrast) 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.

$171.56 with Texas Health Network vs $21,869.10 with Affiliated PPO — 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 $171.56
Amerigroup MGMCD $175.06
Amerigroup MCDCHIPBH $175.06
Texas Childrens Health Plans STAR $175.06
Texas Childrens Health Plans STARKIDS $175.06
Community Health Choice MCD STAR+PLUS $180.34
Community Health Choice MCD CHIPPerinatal $180.34
Community Health Choice MCD CHIP $180.34
Community Health Choice MCD STAR $180.34
United MGMCD $183.95
Molina Healthcare STARKIDS $192.57
Molina Healthcare CHIP $192.57
Molina Healthcare STAR $192.57
Molina Healthcare STARPLUS $192.57
Aetna Better Health MGMCD $194.77
Humana MCD $218.82
United NarrowNetworkIndivExchange $339.25
BCBS MyBlueHealth $364.44
United SmallGroup $401.74
United AllPayerAppendix $401.74
BCBS BAV $451.91
BCBS HMO $686.97
BCBS EPOSOA $721.59
Aetna QHPExchange $725.00
BCBS PPO $754.39
Aetna NBPPO $963.00
Aetna NBPOS $963.00
Aetna NBHMO $963.00
Aetna COMMPPO $1,024.00
Aetna COMMPOS $1,024.00
Aetna COMMHMO $1,024.00
Aetna OONPPO $1,203.00
Aetna OONPOS $1,203.00
Aetna OONHMO $1,203.00
Aetna ASAPPO $1,301.00
Aetna ASAHMO $1,301.00
Aetna ASAPOS $1,301.00
Superior Health Plan CHPFC $1,457.94
Superior Health Plan CHIP $1,457.94
Superior Health Plan STARPLUS $1,457.94
Superior Health Plan STARKids $1,457.94
Superior Health Plan STAR $1,457.94
Cigna CSN $1,635.00
Cigna OpenAccessPlus $1,771.00
Cigna PPO $2,106.00
Humana PPO $3,608.79
Humana HMO $3,608.79
Texas Childrens Health Plans CHIP $4,033.63
United OptionsPPO $4,082.23
Texas Workforce Commission WCOMP $5,831.76
BCBS Traditional $8,504.65
Christus (USFHP) TRICARE $9,719.60
HealthSmart Preferred Care ACCEL $10,448.57
United GlobalAppendix $10,934.55
Fidelis SecureCare of TX MGMCR $10,934.55
Coventry National First Health COMM $12,951.37
Physicians Cooperative of Texas WC $13,364.45
Rockport Workers Comp COMM $13,364.45
Triumph COMM $14,579.40
National Healthcare Solutions COMM $14,579.40
SouthWest Medical WORKERSCOMP $14,579.40
Independent Medical System COMM $14,579.40
Coastal Comp COMM $15,794.35
Multiplan PHCSPrimaryNetwork $18,224.25
Cigna Behavioral Health COMMBH $19,439.20
HealthSmart Preferred Care PPO $19,925.18
Multiplan ComplementaryNetwork $20,654.15
Physicians, INC COMM $20,654.15
HealthSmart Preferred Care ACCOUNTABLEPPO $20,654.15
Affiliated PPO COMM $21,869.10

Visitor-reported prices

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Lower Back (Lumbar Spine) CT scan (with and without contrast) at other Texas hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Baylor St Luke's Medical Center Houston $5,346.60 $175.06 – $15,276.00
St. Luke's Health - The Vintage Hospital Houston $5,346.60 $175.06 – $15,276.00
HCA HOUSTON MEDICAL CENTER Houston not published $180.34 – $391.77
Adventhealth Rollins Brook Lampasas $5,081.55 $849.15 – $849.15
BAYLOR UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER Dallas $1,677.35 $167.39 – $2,096.69
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BRENHAM Brenham $1,677.35 $236.02 – $2,516.03
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BUDA Suite 110 $1,677.35 $167.39 – $2,096.69
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - CENTENNIAL Frisco $1,677.35 $167.39 – $2,096.69

All Texas hospitals for this procedure →