Brain MRI (with and without contrast) at HCA HOUSTON NORTHWEST

621 RAYFORD RD, SPRING, TX · HCA Houston Healthcare · · NPI 1740450121

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

not published by hospital

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.

not published by hospital

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.

$328.11 with Texas Childrens Health Plans vs $8,553.32 with Coventry National First 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
Texas Childrens Health Plans STAR $328.11
Texas Childrens Health Plans STARKIDS $328.11
Community Health Choice MCD STAR+PLUS $332.80
Community Health Choice MCD CHIPPerinatal $332.80
Community Health Choice MCD CHIP $332.80
Community Health Choice MCD STAR $332.80
United MGMCD $339.46
Aetna Better Health MGMCD $359.42
Molina Healthcare CHIP $360.92
Molina Healthcare STARPLUS $360.92
Molina Healthcare STARKIDS $360.92
Molina Healthcare STAR $360.92
Humana MCD $410.14
United NarrowNetworkIndivExchange $699.43
United SmallGroup $828.27
United AllPayerAppendix $828.27
BCBS MyBlueHealth $828.61
BCBS BAV $946.99
Superior Health Plan STARPLUS $962.85
Superior Health Plan CHPFC $962.85
Superior Health Plan STAR $962.85
Superior Health Plan STARKids $962.85
Superior Health Plan CHIP $962.85
Aetna QHPExchange $1,210.00
BCBS HMO $1,439.57
BCBS EPOSOA $1,569.40
Aetna NBHMO $1,605.00
Aetna NBPOS $1,605.00
Aetna NBPPO $1,605.00
BCBS PPO $1,699.23
Aetna COMMPPO $1,706.00
Aetna COMMPOS $1,706.00
Aetna COMMHMO $1,706.00
Aetna OONPPO $2,007.00
Aetna OONHMO $2,007.00
Aetna OONPOS $2,007.00
Cigna CSN $2,127.00
Aetna ASAPPO $2,168.00
Aetna ASAHMO $2,168.00
Aetna ASAPOS $2,168.00
Cigna OpenAccessPlus $2,304.00
Texas Childrens Health Plans CHIP $2,663.89
United OptionsPPO $2,695.98
Cigna PPO $2,739.00
Humana PPO $4,633.30
Humana HMO $4,633.30
BCBS Traditional $5,616.63
Christus (USFHP) TRICARE $6,419.00
United GlobalAppendix $7,221.38
Coventry National First Health COMM $8,553.32

Visitor-reported prices

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Brain MRI (with and without contrast) at other Texas hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
St. Luke's Health - Springwoods Village Hospital Spring $4,119.50 $328.11 – $11,770.00
Adventhealth Rollins Brook Lampasas $5,941.03 $1,779.42 – $1,779.42
BAYLOR UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER Dallas $3,149.11 $328.11 – $3,936.39
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BRENHAM Brenham $3,480.37 $494.01 – $5,220.56
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BUDA Suite 110 $3,969.34 $328.11 – $4,961.67
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - CENTENNIAL Frisco $3,149.11 $328.11 – $3,936.39
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - COLLEGE STATION College Station $3,480.37 $332.94 – $5,220.56
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE CONTINUING CARE HOSPITAL Temple $3,480.37 $328.11 – $5,220.56

All Texas hospitals for this procedure →