Upper Back (Thoracic Spine) MRI (with and without contrast) at HCA HOUSTON SOUTHEAST

6002 FAIRMONT PKWY, PASADENA, TX · HCA Houston Healthcare · · NPI 1174576698

Source: hospital's published price file ↗ · Published Mar 1, 2026 · Ingested Sep 10, 2026

$28,834.54

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.

$28,834.54

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.

$323.84 with Texas Health Network vs $25,951.09 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 $323.84 ↓ -99%
Texas Childrens Health Plans STAR $330.45 ↓ -99%
Texas Childrens Health Plans STARKIDS $330.45 ↓ -99%
Amerigroup MGMCD $330.45 ↓ -99%
Amerigroup MCDCHIPBH $330.45 ↓ -99%
Community Health Choice MCD CHIP $335.14 ↓ -99%
Community Health Choice MCD STAR $335.14 ↓ -99%
Community Health Choice MCD CHIPPerinatal $335.14 ↓ -99%
Community Health Choice MCD STAR+PLUS $335.14 ↓ -99%
United MGMCD $341.84 ↓ -99%
Aetna Better Health MGMCD $361.95 ↓ -99%
Molina Healthcare CHIP $363.50 ↓ -99%
Molina Healthcare STARPLUS $363.50 ↓ -99%
Molina Healthcare STARKIDS $363.50 ↓ -99%
Molina Healthcare STAR $363.50 ↓ -99%
Humana MCD $413.06 ↓ -99%
United NarrowNetworkIndivExchange $699.43 ↓ -98%
BCBS MyBlueHealth $820.98 ↓ -97%
United SmallGroup $828.27 ↓ -97%
United AllPayerAppendix $828.27 ↓ -97%
BCBS BAV $946.99 ↓ -97%
Aetna QHPExchange $1,210.00 ↓ -96%
Aetna ASAPPO $1,301.00 ↓ -95%
BCBS HMO $1,439.57 ↓ -95%
BCBS EPOSOA $1,523.58 ↓ -95%
BCBS PPO $1,603.77 ↓ -94%
Aetna NBHMO $1,605.00 ↓ -94%
Aetna NBPPO $1,605.00 ↓ -94%
Aetna NBPOS $1,605.00 ↓ -94%
Aetna COMMHMO $1,706.00 ↓ -94%
Aetna COMMPPO $1,706.00 ↓ -94%
Aetna COMMPOS $1,706.00 ↓ -94%
Superior Health Plan CHPFC $1,730.07 ↓ -94%
Superior Health Plan STAR $1,730.07 ↓ -94%
Superior Health Plan STARKids $1,730.07 ↓ -94%
Superior Health Plan STARPLUS $1,730.07 ↓ -94%
Superior Health Plan CHIP $1,730.07 ↓ -94%
Aetna OONHMO $2,007.00 ↓ -93%
Aetna OONPOS $2,007.00 ↓ -93%
Aetna OONPPO $2,007.00 ↓ -93%
Cigna CSN $2,127.00 ↓ -93%
Aetna ASAHMO $2,168.00 ↓ -92%
Aetna ASAPOS $2,168.00 ↓ -92%
Cigna OpenAccessPlus $2,304.00 ↓ -92%
Cigna PPO $2,739.00 ↓ -91%
Humana HMO $4,682.98 ↓ -84%
Humana PPO $4,682.98 ↓ -84%
Texas Childrens Health Plans CHIP $5,074.88 ↓ -82%
United OptionsPPO $5,824.58 ↓ -80%
Texas Workforce Commission WCOMP $6,920.29 ↓ -76%
BCBS Traditional $10,092.09 ↓ -65%
Christus (USFHP) TRICARE $11,533.82 ↓ -60%
HealthSmart Preferred Care ACCEL $12,398.85 ↓ -57%
Fidelis SecureCare of TX MGMCR $12,975.54 ↓ -55%
United GlobalAppendix $12,975.54 ↓ -55%
Coventry National First Health COMM $15,368.81 ↓ -47%
Rockport Workers Comp COMM $15,859.00 ↓ -45%
Physicians Cooperative of Texas WC $15,859.00 ↓ -45%
Independent Medical System COMM $17,300.72 ↓ -40%
Prime Health Services WORKERSCOMP $17,300.72 ↓ -40%
Beech Street WCOMP $17,300.72 ↓ -40%
National Healthcare Solutions COMM $17,300.72 ↓ -40%
SouthWest Medical WORKERSCOMP $17,300.72 ↓ -40%
Coastal Comp COMM $18,742.45 ↓ -35%
Fiesta Mart, Inc COMM $21,625.90 ↓ -25%
Cigna Behavioral Health COMMBH $23,067.63 ↓ -20%
Beech Street COMMPPO $23,067.63 ↓ -20%
HealthSmart Preferred Care PPO $23,644.32 ↓ -18%
HealthSmart Preferred Care ACCOUNTABLEPPO $24,509.36 ↓ -15%
Physicians, INC COMM $24,509.36 ↓ -15%
Multiplan COMPLEMENTARYPPO $25,951.09 ↓ -10%
Affiliated PPO COMM $25,951.09 ↓ -10%

Visitor-reported prices

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Upper Back (Thoracic Spine) MRI (with and without contrast) at other Texas hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
St. Luke's Health - Patients Medical Center Pasadena $4,041.45 $313.93 – $8,660.25
Adventhealth Rollins Brook Lampasas $4,609.30 $1,779.42 – $1,779.42
BAYLOR UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER Dallas $3,957.73 $330.45 – $4,947.16
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BRENHAM Brenham $3,855.61 $494.01 – $5,783.41
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BUDA Suite 110 $3,855.61 $330.45 – $4,819.51
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - CENTENNIAL Frisco $3,957.73 $330.45 – $4,947.16
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - COLLEGE STATION College Station $3,855.61 $332.94 – $5,783.41
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE CONTINUING CARE HOSPITAL Temple $3,855.61 $330.45 – $5,783.41

All Texas hospitals for this procedure →