Pretreat rbc density gradient separation reference 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

$205.00

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.

$205.00

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.

$12.30 with Superior Health Plan vs $457.76 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 STARKids $12.30 ↓ -94%
Superior Health Plan STARPLUS $12.30 ↓ -94%
Superior Health Plan CHIP $12.30 ↓ -94%
Superior Health Plan CHPFC $12.30 ↓ -94%
Superior Health Plan STAR $12.30 ↓ -94%
Community Health Choice MCD CHIPPerinatal $26.65 ↓ -87%
Community Health Choice MCD CHIP $26.65 ↓ -87%
Community Health Choice MCD STAR $26.65 ↓ -87%
Community Health Choice MCD STAR+PLUS $26.65 ↓ -87%
Amerigroup MCDCHIPBH $28.70 ↓ -86%
Amerigroup MGMCD $28.70 ↓ -86%
Texas Childrens Health Plans CHIP $34.03 ↓ -83%
United OptionsPPO $34.44 ↓ -83%
Oscar HIX $39.98 ↓ -80%
Texas Childrens Health Plans STAR $48.59 ↓ -76%
Texas Childrens Health Plans STARKIDS $48.59 ↓ -76%
Texas Workforce Commission WCOMP $49.20 ↓ -76%
Healthcare Highways NarrowNetwork $52.27 ↓ -75%
Evry Health BroadNetwork $55.97 ↓ -73%
BCBS Traditional $71.75 ↓ -65%
Imagine Health PPO $71.75 ↓ -65%
Christus (USFHP) TRICARE $82.00 ↓ -60%
HealthSmart Preferred Care ACCEL $88.15 ↓ -57%
United GlobalAppendix $92.25 ↓ -55%
Averde Health Commercial $92.25 ↓ -55%
Fidelis SecureCare of TX MGMCR $92.25 ↓ -55%
Coventry National First Health COMM $109.27 ↓ -47%
Physicians Cooperative of Texas WC $112.75 ↓ -45%
Rockport Workers Comp COMM $112.75 ↓ -45%
Triumph COMM $123.00 ↓ -40%
National Healthcare Solutions COMM $123.00 ↓ -40%
SouthWest Medical WORKERSCOMP $123.00 ↓ -40%
Independent Medical System COMM $123.00 ↓ -40%
Coastal Comp COMM $133.25 ↓ -35%
United AllPayerAppendix $149.16 ↓ -27%
United SmallGroup $149.16 ↓ -27%
United NarrowNetworkIndivExchange $149.16 ↓ -27%
Multiplan PHCSPrimaryNetwork $153.75 ↓ -25%
Aetna QHPExchange $155.25 ↓ -24%
Cigna Behavioral Health COMMBH $164.00 ↓ -20%
Cigna CSN $164.50 ↓ -20%
HealthSmart Preferred Care PPO $168.10 ↓ -18%
Multiplan ComplementaryNetwork $174.25 ↓ -15%
HealthSmart Preferred Care ACCOUNTABLEPPO $174.25 ↓ -15%
Physicians, INC COMM $174.25 ↓ -15%
Cigna OpenAccessPlus $178.17 ↓ -13%
Affiliated PPO COMM $184.50 ↓ -10%
Aetna NBHMO $206.47 ↑ +1%
Aetna NBPOS $206.47 ↑ +1%
Aetna NBPPO $206.47 ↑ +1%
Cigna PPO $211.98 ↑ +3%
Aetna COMMPPO $219.35 ↑ +7%
Aetna COMMHMO $219.35 ↑ +7%
Aetna COMMPOS $219.35 ↑ +7%
Aetna OONPOS $257.68 ↑ +26%
Aetna OONHMO $257.68 ↑ +26%
Aetna OONPPO $257.68 ↑ +26%
Aetna ASAPPO $278.62 ↑ +36%
Aetna ASAHMO $278.62 ↑ +36%
Aetna ASAPOS $278.62 ↑ +36%
BCBS MyBlueHealth $289.87 ↑ +41%
BCBS BAV $320.00 ↑ +56%
BCBS HMO $400.37 ↑ +95%
BCBS EPOSOA $429.07 ↑ +109%
Humana PPO $438.43 ↑ +114%
Humana HMO $438.43 ↑ +114%
BCBS PPO $457.76 ↑ +123%
Curative Administrators COMM not published by hospital

Visitor-reported prices

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Pretreat rbc density gradient separation reference at other Texas hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
HCA HOUSTON MEDICAL CENTER Houston $422.02 $149.16 – $438.43
Baylor St Luke's Medical Center Houston $237.30 $36.95 – $678.00
St. Luke's Health - The Vintage Hospital Houston $237.30 $98.32 – $678.00
HCA HOUSTON TOMBALL HOUSTON not published $149.16 – $438.43
BAYLOR UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER Dallas $47.73 $10.00 – $423.12
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BRENHAM Brenham $196.70 $12.00 – $423.12
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BUDA Suite 110 $182.31 $12.00 – $423.12
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - CENTENNIAL Frisco $47.73 $10.00 – $423.12

All Texas hospitals for this procedure →