Upper Back (Thoracic Spine) X-ray (2 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.

$32.42 with Texas Health Network vs $3,020.40 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 $32.42 —
Community Health Choice MCD STAR+PLUS $33.08 —
Community Health Choice MCD STAR $33.08 —
Community Health Choice MCD CHIPPerinatal $33.08 —
Community Health Choice MCD CHIP $33.08 —
Amerigroup MGMCD $33.08 —
Amerigroup MCDCHIPBH $33.08 —
United MGMCD $33.74 —
Aetna Better Health MGMCD $35.73 —
Molina Healthcare STAR $36.39 —
Molina Healthcare CHIP $36.39 —
Molina Healthcare STARPLUS $36.39 —
Molina Healthcare STARKIDS $36.39 —
Humana MCD $41.35 —
Texas Childrens Health Plans CHIP $49.62 —
Texas Childrens Health Plans STAR $49.62 —
Texas Childrens Health Plans STARKIDS $49.62 —
Cigna CSN $84.71 —
Cigna OpenAccessPlus $91.68 —
Cigna PPO $108.98 —
Aetna NBPOS $190.70 —
Aetna NBPPO $190.70 —
Aetna NBHMO $190.70 —
BCBS MyBlueHealth $197.26 —
Superior Health Plan STARKids $201.36 —
Superior Health Plan CHPFC $201.36 —
Superior Health Plan CHIP $201.36 —
Superior Health Plan STARPLUS $201.36 —
Superior Health Plan STAR $201.36 —
Aetna COMMPPO $202.91 —
Aetna COMMPOS $202.91 —
Aetna COMMHMO $202.91 —
United NarrowNetworkIndivExchange $207.04 —
BCBS BAV $212.95 —
Aetna OONPOS $238.57 —
Aetna OONHMO $238.57 —
Aetna OONPPO $238.57 —
United SmallGroup $245.18 —
United AllPayerAppendix $245.18 —
Aetna ASAHMO $257.95 —
Aetna ASAPOS $257.95 —
Aetna ASAPPO $257.95 —
BCBS HMO $381.07 —
BCBS EPOSOA $395.64 —
BCBS PPO $409.09 —
United OptionsPPO $563.81 —
Texas Workforce Commission WCOMP $805.44 —
Healthcare Highways NarrowNetwork $855.78 —
Evry Health BroadNetwork $916.19 —
Humana HMO $1,111.84 —
Humana PPO $1,111.84 —
BCBS Traditional $1,174.60 —
Imagine Health PPO $1,174.60 —
Curative Administrators COMM $1,342.40 —
Christus (USFHP) TRICARE $1,342.40 —
HealthSmart Preferred Care ACCEL $1,443.08 —
United GlobalAppendix $1,510.20 —
Fidelis SecureCare of TX MGMCR $1,510.20 —
Averde Health Commercial $1,510.20 —
Coventry National First Health COMM $1,738.41 —
Rockport Workers Comp COMM $1,845.80 —
Physicians Cooperative of Texas WC $1,845.80 —
Triumph COMM $2,013.60 —
Independent Medical System COMM $2,013.60 —
SouthWest Medical WORKERSCOMP $2,013.60 —
National Healthcare Solutions COMM $2,013.60 —
Coastal Comp COMM $2,181.40 —
Multiplan PHCSPrimaryNetwork $2,517.00 —
Cigna Behavioral Health COMMBH $2,684.80 —
HealthSmart Preferred Care PPO $2,751.92 —
HealthSmart Preferred Care ACCOUNTABLEPPO $2,852.60 —
Multiplan ComplementaryNetwork $2,852.60 —
Physicians, INC COMM $2,852.60 —
Affiliated PPO COMM $3,020.40 —

Visitor-reported prices

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Upper Back (Thoracic Spine) X-ray (2 views) at other Texas hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Baylor St Luke's Medical Center Houston $405.65 $33.08 – $1,159.00
St. Luke's Health - The Vintage Hospital Houston $405.65 $33.08 – $1,159.00
Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital Houston $726.50 $89.99 – $204.79
Houston Methodist Hospital Houston $290.50 $95.01 – $420.09
Houston Methodist West Hospital Houston $726.50 $89.99 – $420.09
HCA HOUSTON TOMBALL HOUSTON not published $33.08 – $197.26
HCA HOUSTON MEDICAL CENTER Houston not published $33.08 – $197.26
Adventhealth Rollins Brook Lampasas $670.05 $431.51 – $431.51

All Texas hospitals for this procedure →