Compatibility test each unit electronic at Houston Methodist West Hospital

18500 Katy Freeway, Houston, TX · Houstonmethodist · · NPI 1083937593

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

$99.50

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.

$199.00

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.

$171.15 with Bcbs vs $684.58 with Uae — 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 $171.15 ↑ +72%
Aetna Medicare Managed Care - Hmo/Ppo $173.71 ↑ +75%
Unitedhealthcare Medicare Managed Care - Hmo $174.57 ↑ +75%
Cigna Texas Healthspring Medicare Managed Care - Hmo/Ppo $176.28 ↑ +77%
Molina Healthcare Advantage Medicare Managed Care Plan $179.70 ↑ +81%
Community Health Choice D-Snp Medicare Managed Care - Hmo $183.13 ↑ +84%
Procare Advantage Medicare Managed Care - Hmo $188.26 ↑ +89%
Community Health Choice Silver & Gold Exchange $278.97 ↑ +180%
Optum Health Transplant Medicare Managed Care Plan $333.74 ↑ +235%
Molina Healthcare Exchange $342.29 ↑ +244%
Bcbs All Commercial Plans $596.96 ↑ +500%
Uae All Commercial Plans $684.58 ↑ +588%

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Compatibility test each unit electronic at other Texas hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
HCA HOUSTON MEDICAL CENTER Houston $265.08 $106.96 – $299.61
Baylor St Luke's Medical Center Houston $249.55 $36.95 – $713.00
St. Luke's Health - The Vintage Hospital Houston $249.55 $67.74 – $713.00
Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital Houston $99.50 $171.15 – $333.74
Houston Methodist Hospital Houston $139.50 $171.15 – $684.58
HCA HOUSTON TOMBALL HOUSTON not published $106.96 – $299.61
BAYLOR UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER Dallas $188.22 $10.00 – $423.12
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BRENHAM Brenham $211.75 $12.00 – $423.12

All Texas hospitals for this procedure →