Contrast exam thoracic aorta at St. Luke's Health - Patients Medical Center

4600 E. Sam Houston Parkway South, Pasadena, TX · CommonSpirit Health · · NPI 1407990088

Source: hospital's published price file ↗ · Published Feb 28, 2026 · Ingested Sep 10, 2026

$1,415.93

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.

$4,045.50

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.

$140.00 with United vs $4,787.23 with Bright Health — 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
United Commercial|Exchange $140.00 ↓ -90%
CHC Medicaid|All Plans $173.64 ↓ -88%
TCHP Medicaid|All Plans $173.64 ↓ -88%
Wellpoint Medicaid|All Plans $182.78 ↓ -87%
UNITED Medicaid|All Other Plans $186.44 ↓ -87%
United Commercial|Charter $209.00 ↓ -85%
United Commercial|PPO $230.00 ↓ -84%
United Commercial|HMO $230.00 ↓ -84%
UNITED Medicaid|STAR $250.41 ↓ -82%
Cigna Commercial|Surefit $521.49 ↓ -63%
UNITED Medicaid|STARPLUS $570.27 ↓ -60%
Cigna Commercial|HMO $574.35 ↓ -59%
Cigna Commercial|PPO $704.72 ↓ -50%
Aetna-Kelsey Care Commercial|HMO $2,386.85 ↑ +69%
Cigna Lifesource Commercial|Transplant $2,427.30 ↑ +71%
Coventry Commercial|PPO $2,629.58 ↑ +86%
First Health Commercial|All Plans $2,629.58 ↑ +86%
Aetna Commercial|HMO $2,750.94 ↑ +94%
Healthsmart Commercial|PPO $2,831.85 ↑ +100%
Cigna Commercial|Transplant $2,831.85 ↑ +100%
MultiPlan Commercial|All Plans $3,034.13 ↑ +114%
CIGNA-HEALTHSPRING Medicare|All Plans $3,152.60 ↑ +123%
BCBS Medicare|All Plans $3,152.60 ↑ +123%
HUMANA Medicare|All Plans $3,152.60 ↑ +123%
KELSEY Medicare|All Plans $3,152.60 ↑ +123%
UNITED Medicare|All Plans $3,215.65 ↑ +127%
AETNA Medicare|All Plans $3,215.65 ↑ +127%
AMERIVANTAGE Medicare|All Plans $3,247.18 ↑ +129%
SCANHealth Medicare|All Plans $3,373.28 ↑ +138%
DEVOTED Medicare|All Plans $3,373.28 ↑ +138%
BCBS-TX Commercial|Exchange $3,907.50 ↑ +176%
BCBS - TX Commercial|MyBlue Health Exchange $4,045.50 ↑ +186%
BCBS-TX Commercial|PPO $4,045.50 ↑ +186%
BCBS-TX Commercial|HMO $4,045.50 ↑ +186%
BCBS-TX Commercial|Blue Premier $4,045.50 ↑ +186%
Community Health Choice Commercial|Exchange $4,728.90 ↑ +234%
Wellpoint Commercial|Exchange $4,728.90 ↑ +234%
Ambetter Commercial|All Plans $4,728.90 ↑ +234%
Bright Health Commercial|All Plans $4,787.23 ↑ +238%

Visitor-reported prices

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Contrast exam thoracic aorta at other Texas hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
HCA HOUSTON SOUTHEAST PASADENA $19,132.28 $179.12 – $4,877.45
BAYLOR UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER Dallas $3,570.00 $182.78 – $7,896.23
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BRENHAM Brenham $3,748.50 $771.57 – $7,896.23
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BUDA Suite 110 $6,446.54 $182.78 – $8,058.17
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - CENTENNIAL Frisco $3,570.00 $182.78 – $7,896.23
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - COLLEGE STATION College Station $3,748.50 $195.57 – $7,896.23
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE CONTINUING CARE HOSPITAL Temple $3,748.50 $182.78 – $7,896.23
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE EMERGENCY MEDICAL CENTER - CEDAR PARK Cedar Park $6,446.54 $182.78 – $9,669.81

All Texas hospitals for this procedure →