Red blood cells each unit 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

$1,352.00

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.

Full explanation →

What you pay up front if you don't use insurance.

$1,352.00

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.

$81.12 with Superior Health Plan vs $1,390.77 with Humana — 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 CHPFC $81.12 ↓ -94%
Superior Health Plan STARPLUS $81.12 ↓ -94%
Superior Health Plan STARKids $81.12 ↓ -94%
Superior Health Plan STAR $81.12 ↓ -94%
Superior Health Plan CHIP $81.12 ↓ -94%
Community Health Choice MCD STAR $175.76 ↓ -87%
Community Health Choice MCD CHIPPerinatal $175.76 ↓ -87%
Community Health Choice MCD CHIP $175.76 ↓ -87%
Community Health Choice MCD STAR+PLUS $175.76 ↓ -87%
Amerigroup MGMCD $189.28 ↓ -86%
Amerigroup MCDCHIPBH $189.28 ↓ -86%
Cigna CSN $200.10 ↓ -85%
Cigna OpenAccessPlus $216.32 ↓ -84%
BCBS MyBlueHealth $220.38 ↓ -84%
Texas Childrens Health Plans CHIP $224.43 ↓ -83%
United OptionsPPO $227.14 ↓ -83%
BCBS BAV $243.36 ↓ -82%
Cigna PPO $256.88 ↓ -81%
Oscar HIX $263.64 ↓ -81%
Texas Athletic Network Premier $300.00 ↓ -78%
BCBS HMO $304.20 ↓ -78%
BCBS EPOSOA $310.96 ↓ -77%
BCBS PPO $316.37 ↓ -77%
Texas Childrens Health Plans STARKIDS $320.42 ↓ -76%
Texas Childrens Health Plans STAR $320.42 ↓ -76%
Texas Workforce Commission WCOMP $324.48 ↓ -76%
Healthcare Highways NarrowNetwork $344.76 ↓ -75%
Aetna QHPExchange $354.66 ↓ -74%
Evry Health BroadNetwork $369.10 ↓ -73%
Aetna NBPPO $471.65 ↓ -65%
Aetna NBPOS $471.65 ↓ -65%
Aetna NBHMO $471.65 ↓ -65%
Imagine Health PPO $473.20 ↓ -65%
BCBS Traditional $473.20 ↓ -65%
Texas Athletic Network PremierPlus $500.00 ↓ -63%
Aetna COMMPPO $501.08 ↓ -63%
Aetna COMMHMO $501.08 ↓ -63%
Aetna COMMPOS $501.08 ↓ -63%
Christus (USFHP) TRICARE $540.80 ↓ -60%
Curative Administrators COMM $540.80 ↓ -60%
HealthSmart Preferred Care ACCEL $581.36 ↓ -57%
Aetna OONPPO $588.64 ↓ -56%
Aetna OONPOS $588.64 ↓ -56%
Aetna OONHMO $588.64 ↓ -56%
Texas Athletic Network TexasCustomUC $600.00 ↓ -56%
Averde Health Commercial $608.40 ↓ -55%
United GlobalAppendix $608.40 ↓ -55%
Fidelis SecureCare of TX MGMCR $608.40 ↓ -55%
Aetna ASAHMO $636.47 ↓ -53%
Aetna ASAPPO $636.47 ↓ -53%
Aetna ASAPOS $636.47 ↓ -53%
Coventry National First Health COMM $720.62 ↓ -47%
Rockport Workers Comp COMM $743.60 ↓ -45%
Physicians Cooperative of Texas WC $743.60 ↓ -45%
National Healthcare Solutions COMM $811.20 ↓ -40%
Triumph COMM $811.20 ↓ -40%
SouthWest Medical WORKERSCOMP $811.20 ↓ -40%
Independent Medical System COMM $811.20 ↓ -40%
Coastal Comp COMM $878.80 ↓ -35%
Multiplan PHCSPrimaryNetwork $1,014.00 ↓ -25%
Cigna Behavioral Health COMMBH $1,081.60 ↓ -20%
HealthSmart Preferred Care PPO $1,108.64 ↓ -18%
Physicians, INC COMM $1,149.20 ↓ -15%
Multiplan ComplementaryNetwork $1,149.20 ↓ -15%
HealthSmart Preferred Care ACCOUNTABLEPPO $1,149.20 ↓ -15%
Affiliated PPO COMM $1,216.80 ↓ -10%
Humana HMO $1,390.77 ↑ +3%
Humana PPO $1,390.77 ↑ +3%

Visitor-reported prices

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Red blood cells each unit at other Texas hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
HCA HOUSTON MEDICAL CENTER Houston $925.94 $354.66 – $1,390.77
Baylor St Luke's Medical Center Houston $277.20 $94.00 – $792.00
St. Luke's Health - The Vintage Hospital Houston $277.20 $88.00 – $792.00
HCA HOUSTON TOMBALL HOUSTON $251.64 $354.66 – $1,390.77
BAYLOR UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER Dallas $414.33 $117.39 – $517.91
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BRENHAM Brenham $447.32 $92.07 – $670.98
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BUDA Suite 110 $464.14 $92.83 – $580.17
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - CENTENNIAL Frisco $414.33 $110.49 – $517.91

All Texas hospitals for this procedure →