Convert nephrostomy catheter at Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital

18220 Tomball Parkway, Houston, TX · Houstonmethodist · · NPI 1871619254

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

$4,619.00

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.

Full explanation →

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

$9,238.00

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.

$2,099.91 with Bcbs vs $7,542.00 with Aetna — 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 $2,099.91 ↓ -55%
Aetna Medicare Managed Care - Hmo/Ppo $2,131.41 ↓ -54%
Unitedhealthcare Medicare Managed Care - Hmo $2,141.91 ↓ -54%
Cigna Texas Healthspring Medicare Managed Care - Hmo/Ppo $2,162.91 ↓ -53%
Molina Healthcare Advantage Medicare Managed Care Plan $2,204.90 ↓ -52%
Community Health Choice D-Snp Medicare Managed Care - Hmo $2,246.90 ↓ -51%
Procare Advantage Medicare Managed Care - Hmo $2,309.90 ↓ -50%
Community Health Choice Silver & Gold Exchange $3,422.85 ↓ -26%
Bcbs All Commercial Plans $3,613.96 ↓ -22%
Unitedhealthcare All Commercial Plans $3,913.00 ↓ -15%
Optum Health Transplant Medicare Managed Care Plan $4,094.82 ↓ -11%
Molina Healthcare Exchange $4,199.82 ↓ -9%
Aetna New Business Discount Other Commercial Plan $7,316.00 ↑ +58%
Aetna Hmo/Pos/Ppo $7,542.00 ↑ +63%

Visitor-reported prices

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Convert nephrostomy catheter at other Texas hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Baylor St Luke's Medical Center Houston $7,902.30 $6,096.06 – $22,578.00
St. Luke's Health - The Vintage Hospital Houston $7,902.30 $6,096.06 – $22,578.00
Houston Methodist Hospital Houston $3,072.00 $2,099.91 – $8,399.64
Houston Methodist West Hospital Houston $4,619.00 $2,099.91 – $8,399.64
HCA HOUSTON MEDICAL CENTER Houston not published $700.49 – $3,631.68
HCA HOUSTON WEST HOUSTON not published $639.74 – $3,082.50
HCA HOUSTON TOMBALL HOUSTON not published $652.80 – $3,082.50
BAYLOR UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER Dallas $4,267.48 $652.80 – $6,093.00

All Texas hospitals for this procedure →