X-ray thoracic spine 2 views 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

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.

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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
Amerigroup MGMCD $33.08
Texas Childrens Health Plans STARKIDS $33.08
Community Health Choice MCD CHIP $33.08
Community Health Choice MCD CHIPPerinatal $33.08
Texas Childrens Health Plans STAR $33.08
Amerigroup MCDCHIPBH $33.08
United MGMCD $33.74
Aetna Better Health MGMCD $35.73
Molina Healthcare CHIP $36.39
Molina Healthcare STARPLUS $36.39
Molina Healthcare STARKIDS $36.39
Molina Healthcare STAR $36.39
Humana MCD $41.35
Cigna CSN $84.71
Cigna OpenAccessPlus $91.68
Cigna PPO $108.98
Aetna QHPExchange $137.21
Aetna NBPPO $182.37
Aetna NBPOS $182.37
Aetna NBHMO $182.37
Aetna COMMHMO $193.99
Aetna COMMPPO $193.99
Aetna COMMPOS $193.99
BCBS MyBlueHealth $197.26
Superior Health Plan CHPFC $201.36
Superior Health Plan STAR $201.36
Superior Health Plan STARKids $201.36
Superior Health Plan STARPLUS $201.36
Superior Health Plan CHIP $201.36
United NarrowNetworkIndivExchange $207.04
BCBS BAV $212.95
Aetna OONHMO $228.10
Aetna OONPPO $228.10
Aetna OONPOS $228.10
United AllPayerAppendix $245.18
United SmallGroup $245.18
Aetna ASAPOS $246.51
Aetna ASAPPO $246.51
Aetna ASAHMO $246.51
BCBS HMO $381.07
BCBS EPOSOA $395.64
Humana HMO $396.70
Humana PPO $396.70
BCBS PPO $409.09
Texas Childrens Health Plans CHIP $557.10
United OptionsPPO $563.81
Texas Workforce Commission WCOMP $805.44
Healthcare Highways NarrowNetwork $855.78
Evry Health BroadNetwork $916.19
Imagine Health PPO $1,174.60
BCBS Traditional $1,174.60
Christus (USFHP) TRICARE $1,342.40
Curative Administrators COMM $1,342.40
HealthSmart Preferred Care ACCEL $1,443.08
Averde Health Commercial $1,510.20
United GlobalAppendix $1,510.20
Fidelis SecureCare of TX MGMCR $1,510.20
Coventry National First Health COMM $1,788.75
Rockport Workers Comp COMM $1,845.80
Physicians Cooperative of Texas WC $1,845.80
SouthWest Medical WORKERSCOMP $2,013.60
Triumph COMM $2,013.60
National Healthcare Solutions COMM $2,013.60
Independent Medical System 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
Multiplan ComplementaryNetwork $2,852.60
Physicians, INC COMM $2,852.60
HealthSmart Preferred Care ACCOUNTABLEPPO $2,852.60
Affiliated PPO COMM $3,020.40

Visitor-reported prices

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X-ray thoracic spine 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
HCA HOUSTON MEDICAL CENTER Houston not published $33.08 – $197.26
HCA HOUSTON TOMBALL HOUSTON not published $33.08 – $197.26
Adventhealth Rollins Brook Lampasas $670.05 $431.51 – $431.51
BAYLOR UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER Dallas $312.80 $33.08 – $391.00
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BRENHAM Brenham $403.23 $83.00 – $604.85
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BUDA Suite 110 $403.23 $33.08 – $504.04

All Texas hospitals for this procedure →