Skull X-ray (1 to 3 views) at HCA HOUSTON WEST

12141 RICHMOND AVENUE, HOUSTON, TX · HCA Houston Healthcare · · NPI 1275580938

Source: hospital's published price file ↗ · Published Sep 1, 2026 · Ingested Sep 24, 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.

Full explanation →

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.

$35.37 with Texas Health Network vs $2,422.80 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 $35.37 —
Community Health Choice MCD STAR+PLUS $36.09 —
Community Health Choice MCD STAR $36.09 —
Community Health Choice MCD CHIPPerinatal $36.09 —
Community Health Choice MCD CHIP $36.09 —
Amerigroup MGMCD $36.09 —
Amerigroup MCDCHIPBH $36.09 —
United MGMCD $36.81 —
Aetna Better Health MGMCD $38.98 —
Molina Healthcare STAR $39.70 —
Molina Healthcare CHIP $39.70 —
Molina Healthcare STARPLUS $39.70 —
Molina Healthcare STARKIDS $39.70 —
Humana MCD $45.11 —
Texas Childrens Health Plans STAR $54.14 —
Texas Childrens Health Plans STARKIDS $54.14 —
Texas Childrens Health Plans CHIP $54.14 —
Cigna CSN $99.26 —
Cigna OpenAccessPlus $107.43 —
Cigna PPO $127.70 —
Superior Health Plan STARKids $161.52 —
Superior Health Plan CHPFC $161.52 —
Superior Health Plan CHIP $161.52 —
Superior Health Plan STARPLUS $161.52 —
Superior Health Plan STAR $161.52 —
BCBS MyBlueHealth $197.26 —
United NarrowNetworkIndivExchange $207.04 —
BCBS BAV $212.95 —
Aetna NBPOS $223.86 —
Aetna NBPPO $223.86 —
Aetna NBHMO $223.86 —
Aetna COMMHMO $238.19 —
Aetna COMMPPO $238.19 —
Aetna COMMPOS $238.19 —
United SmallGroup $245.18 —
United AllPayerAppendix $245.18 —
Aetna OONHMO $280.05 —
Aetna OONPPO $280.05 —
Aetna OONPOS $280.05 —
Aetna ASAHMO $302.80 —
Aetna ASAPOS $302.80 —
Aetna ASAPPO $302.80 —
BCBS HMO $381.07 —
BCBS EPOSOA $395.64 —
BCBS PPO $409.09 —
United OptionsPPO $452.26 —
Texas Workforce Commission WCOMP $646.08 —
Healthcare Highways NarrowNetwork $686.46 —
Evry Health BroadNetwork $734.92 —
Humana HMO $891.86 —
Humana PPO $891.86 —
BCBS Traditional $942.20 —
Imagine Health PPO $942.20 —
Curative Administrators COMM $1,076.80 —
Christus (USFHP) TRICARE $1,076.80 —
HealthSmart Preferred Care ACCEL $1,157.56 —
United GlobalAppendix $1,211.40 —
Fidelis SecureCare of TX MGMCR $1,211.40 —
Averde Health Commercial $1,211.40 —
Coventry National First Health COMM $1,394.46 —
Rockport Workers Comp COMM $1,480.60 —
Physicians Cooperative of Texas WC $1,480.60 —
Triumph COMM $1,615.20 —
Independent Medical System COMM $1,615.20 —
SouthWest Medical WORKERSCOMP $1,615.20 —
National Healthcare Solutions COMM $1,615.20 —
Coastal Comp COMM $1,749.80 —
Multiplan PHCSPrimaryNetwork $2,019.00 —
Cigna Behavioral Health COMMBH $2,153.60 —
HealthSmart Preferred Care PPO $2,207.44 —
HealthSmart Preferred Care ACCOUNTABLEPPO $2,288.20 —
Multiplan ComplementaryNetwork $2,288.20 —
Physicians, INC COMM $2,288.20 —
Affiliated PPO COMM $2,422.80 —

Visitor-reported prices

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Skull X-ray (1 to 3 views) at other Texas hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Baylor St Luke's Medical Center Houston $407.05 $36.09 – $1,163.00
St. Luke's Health - The Vintage Hospital Houston $407.05 $36.09 – $1,163.00
Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital Houston $729.50 $105.02 – $204.79
Houston Methodist Hospital Houston $283.00 $105.02 – $420.09
Houston Methodist West Hospital Houston $729.50 $105.02 – $420.09
HCA HOUSTON TOMBALL HOUSTON not published $36.09 – $223.86
HCA HOUSTON MEDICAL CENTER Houston not published $36.09 – $223.86
Adventhealth Rollins Brook Lampasas $615.53 $431.51 – $431.51

All Texas hospitals for this procedure →