Contrast x-ray of ankle at Houston Methodist Hospital

6565 Fannin, Houston, TX · Houstonmethodist · · NPI 1548387418

Source: hospital's published price file ↗ · Published Apr 1, 2026 · Ingested Sep 17, 2026

$447.00

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.

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

$894.00

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.

$350.46 with Bcbs vs $1,512.13 with Bcbs — 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
Bcbs Medicare Managed Care - Hmo $350.46 ↓ -22%
Aetna Medicare Managed Care - Hmo/Ppo $355.72 ↓ -20%
Unitedhealthcare Medicare Managed Care - Hmo $357.47 ↓ -20%
Cigna Texas Healthspring Medicare Managed Care - Hmo/Ppo $360.98 ↓ -19%
Molina Healthcare Advantage Medicare Managed Care Plan $367.99 ↓ -18%
Community Health Choice D-Snp Medicare Managed Care - Hmo $375.00 ↓ -16%
Procare Advantage Medicare Managed Care - Hmo $385.51 ↓ -14%
Aetna New Business Discount Other Commercial Plan $394.66 ↓ -12%
Aetna Hmo/Pos/Ppo $406.99 ↓ -9%
Community Health Choice Silver & Gold Exchange $571.26 ↑ +28%
Optum Health Transplant Medicare Managed Care Plan $683.40 ↑ +53%
Cigna Network C-24 Hmo/Ppo $711.63 ↑ +59%
Cigna Local Plus/Surefit Hmo/Ppo $712.00 ↑ +59%
Cigna Pcp Optional/Pcp Required Benefit Plans Hmo $753.34 ↑ +69%
Molina Healthcare Exchange $757.00 ↑ +69%
Uae All Commercial Plans $1,401.85 ↑ +214%
Bcbs All Commercial Plans $1,512.13 ↑ +238%

Visitor-reported prices

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Contrast x-ray of ankle at other Texas hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
HCA HOUSTON MEDICAL CENTER Houston $3,250.63 $130.31 – $672.06
Baylor St Luke's Medical Center Houston $410.20 $128.31 – $1,172.00
St. Luke's Health - The Vintage Hospital Houston $410.20 $93.76 – $1,172.00
HCA HOUSTON TOMBALL HOUSTON $1,224.32 $128.31 – $672.06
Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital Houston $790.00 $350.46 – $683.40
Houston Methodist West Hospital Houston $790.00 $350.46 – $1,401.85
HCA HOUSTON WEST HOUSTON not published $125.74 – $672.06
BAYLOR UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER Dallas $495.58 $128.31 – $952.69

All Texas hospitals for this procedure →