Upper GI Barium X-ray (barium only) 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.

$120.50 with Texas Health Network vs $4,967.10 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 $120.50 —
Amerigroup MGMCD $122.96 —
Amerigroup MCDCHIPBH $122.96 —
Community Health Choice MCD CHIP $124.96 —
Community Health Choice MCD CHIPPerinatal $124.96 —
Community Health Choice MCD STAR+PLUS $124.96 —
Community Health Choice MCD STAR $124.96 —
United MGMCD $127.46 —
Aetna Better Health MGMCD $134.96 —
Molina Healthcare STAR $135.26 —
Molina Healthcare CHIP $135.26 —
Molina Healthcare STARPLUS $135.26 —
Molina Healthcare STARKIDS $135.26 —
Humana MCD $153.70 —
Texas Childrens Health Plans CHIP $184.44 —
Texas Childrens Health Plans STAR $184.44 —
Texas Childrens Health Plans STARKIDS $184.44 —
Cigna CSN $315.32 —
BCBS MyBlueHealth $320.71 —
Superior Health Plan STARPLUS $331.14 —
Superior Health Plan STAR $331.14 —
Superior Health Plan CHPFC $331.14 —
Superior Health Plan CHIP $331.14 —
Superior Health Plan STARKids $331.14 —
United NarrowNetworkIndivExchange $339.25 —
Cigna OpenAccessPlus $341.25 —
BCBS BAV $346.22 —
United AllPayerAppendix $401.74 —
United SmallGroup $401.74 —
Cigna PPO $405.65 —
BCBS HMO $619.55 —
BCBS EPOSOA $643.24 —
BCBS PPO $665.10 —
Aetna NBHMO $730.42 —
Aetna NBPOS $730.42 —
Aetna NBPPO $730.42 —
Aetna COMMPOS $777.19 —
Aetna COMMPPO $777.19 —
Aetna COMMHMO $777.19 —
Aetna OONHMO $913.77 —
Aetna OONPOS $913.77 —
Aetna OONPPO $913.77 —
United OptionsPPO $927.19 —
Aetna ASAPOS $988.00 —
Aetna ASAPPO $988.00 —
Aetna ASAHMO $988.00 —
Texas Workforce Commission WCOMP $1,324.56 —
Healthcare Highways NarrowNetwork $1,407.35 —
Evry Health BroadNetwork $1,506.69 —
Humana HMO $1,828.44 —
Humana PPO $1,828.44 —
Imagine Health PPO $1,931.65 —
BCBS Traditional $1,931.65 —
Christus (USFHP) TRICARE $2,207.60 —
Curative Administrators COMM $2,207.60 —
HealthSmart Preferred Care ACCEL $2,373.17 —
Fidelis SecureCare of TX MGMCR $2,483.55 —
United GlobalAppendix $2,483.55 —
Averde Health Commercial $2,483.55 —
Coventry National First Health COMM $2,858.84 —
Physicians Cooperative of Texas WC $3,035.45 —
Rockport Workers Comp COMM $3,035.45 —
SouthWest Medical WORKERSCOMP $3,311.40 —
National Healthcare Solutions COMM $3,311.40 —
Triumph COMM $3,311.40 —
Independent Medical System COMM $3,311.40 —
Coastal Comp COMM $3,587.35 —
Multiplan PHCSPrimaryNetwork $4,139.25 —
Cigna Behavioral Health COMMBH $4,415.20 —
HealthSmart Preferred Care PPO $4,525.58 —
HealthSmart Preferred Care ACCOUNTABLEPPO $4,691.15 —
Physicians, INC COMM $4,691.15 —
Multiplan ComplementaryNetwork $4,691.15 —
Affiliated PPO COMM $4,967.10 —

Visitor-reported prices

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Upper GI Barium X-ray (barium only) at other Texas hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Baylor St Luke's Medical Center Houston $801.15 $122.96 – $2,289.00
St. Luke's Health - The Vintage Hospital Houston $801.15 $122.96 – $2,289.00
HCA HOUSTON TOMBALL HOUSTON $5,054.61 $122.96 – $730.42
Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital Houston $1,502.50 $176.20 – $343.59
Houston Methodist Hospital Houston $872.50 $176.20 – $704.80
Houston Methodist West Hospital Houston $1,502.50 $176.20 – $704.80
HCA HOUSTON MEDICAL CENTER Houston $5,225.28 $122.96 – $730.42
BAYLOR UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER Dallas $555.04 $122.96 – $693.79

All Texas hospitals for this procedure →