Observation direct referral from physician office for admission 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.

$92.26 with Amerigroup vs $600.00 with Texas Athletic Network — 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.

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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
Amerigroup MCDCHIPBH $92.26
Texas Childrens Health Plans CHIP $109.39
United OptionsPPO $110.71
Texas Childrens Health Plans STARKIDS $156.18
Texas Childrens Health Plans STAR $156.18
Texas Workforce Commission WCOMP $158.16
BCBS Traditional $230.65
Christus (USFHP) TRICARE $263.60
HealthSmart Preferred Care ACCEL $283.37
United GlobalAppendix $296.55
BCBS MyBlueHealth $297.69
Texas Athletic Network Premier $300.00
BCBS BAV $328.23
Coventry National First Health COMM $351.25
Rockport Workers Comp COMM $362.45
Physicians Cooperative of Texas WC $362.45
Triumph COMM $395.40
Independent Medical System COMM $395.40
National Healthcare Solutions COMM $395.40
SouthWest Medical WORKERSCOMP $395.40
BCBS HMO $410.92
Coastal Comp COMM $428.35
BCBS EPOSOA $461.81
Multiplan PHCSPrimaryNetwork $494.25
Texas Athletic Network PremierPlus $500.00
BCBS PPO $511.42
Cigna Behavioral Health COMMBH $527.20
HealthSmart Preferred Care PPO $540.38
HealthSmart Preferred Care ACCOUNTABLEPPO $560.15
Physicians, INC COMM $560.15
Multiplan ComplementaryNetwork $560.15
Affiliated PPO COMM $593.10
Texas Athletic Network TexasCustomUC $600.00

Visitor-reported prices

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Observation direct referral from physician office for admission at other Texas hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Baylor St Luke's Medical Center Houston $545.65 $90.90 – $1,559.00
St. Luke's Health - The Vintage Hospital Houston $545.65 $90.00 – $1,559.00
HCA HOUSTON MEDICAL CENTER Houston not published $297.69 – $297.69
HCA HOUSTON TOMBALL HOUSTON not published $297.69 – $297.69
Adventhealth Rollins Brook Lampasas $162.54 $489.80 – $489.80
BAYLOR UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER Dallas $554.33 $157.06 – $1,591.17
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BRENHAM Brenham $527.99 $71.00 – $1,591.17
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BUDA Suite 110 $602.45 $71.00 – $1,591.17

All Texas hospitals for this procedure →