Surgical pathology level 5 gross & microscopic examination at St. Luke's Health - Lakeside Hospital

17400 St Lukes Way, The Woodlands, TX · CommonSpirit Health · · NPI 1184868879

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

$534.80

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.

$1,528.00

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.

$259.42 with Renaissance vs $1,528.00 with MHealth Network — 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
Renaissance Commercial|All Plans $259.42 ↓ -51%
United Commercial|Exchange $323.15 ↓ -40%
United Commercial|Charter $323.15 ↓ -40%
United Commercial|PPO $323.15 ↓ -40%
United Commercial|HMO $323.15 ↓ -40%
KELSEY Medicare|All Plans $360.30 ↓ -33%
CIGNA HEALTHSPRING Medicare|HMO $360.30 ↓ -33%
HUMANA Medicare|TRANSPLANT $360.30 ↓ -33%
SELECTCARE Medicare|All Plans $360.30 ↓ -33%
BCBS Medicare|All Plans $360.30 ↓ -33%
HUMANA Medicare|All Other Plans $360.30 ↓ -33%
CIGNA HEALTHSPRING Medicare|PPO $363.90 ↓ -32%
UHC-SecureHorizons Medicare|All Plans $367.51 ↓ -31%
AETNA Medicare|All Plans $367.51 ↓ -31%
Amerivantage Medicare|All Plans $371.11 ↓ -31%
DEVOTED Medicare|All Plans $385.52 ↓ -28%
SCANHealth Medicare|All Plans $385.52 ↓ -28%
KINDRED Medicare|All Plans $396.33 ↓ -26%
OPTUM Medicare|All Plans $412.56 ↓ -23%
BCBS - TX Commercial|MyBlue Health Exchange $413.78 ↓ -23%
KelseyCare Commercial|Exchange $486.40 ↓ -9%
Bright Health Commercial|All Plans $487.05 ↓ -9%
Cigna Commercial|Surefit $496.92 ↓ -7%
TCHPCHIP Medicaid|HMO $534.80 ↑ +0%
BCBS-TX Commercial|Exchange $538.48 ↑ +1%
Community Health Choice Commercial|All Other Plans $540.45 ↑ +1%
Wellpoint Commercial|Exchange $540.45 ↑ +1%
Ambetter Commercial|All Plans $540.45 ↑ +1%
Harris Health Commercial|ERS $540.45 ↑ +1%
Community Health Choice Commercial|Exchange $540.45 ↑ +1%
Cigna Commercial|HMO $548.33 ↑ +3%
OPTUM Medicaid|STAR $552.84 ↑ +3%
Aetna Commercial|Exchange $554.86 ↑ +4%
United Commercial|Optum $718.16 ↑ +34%
Cigna Commercial|PPO $749.67 ↑ +40%
CHC Medicaid|CHIP $840.40 ↑ +57%
CHC Medicaid|HMO $840.40 ↑ +57%
TEXASTRUECHOICE Medicaid|CHIP $840.40 ↑ +57%
Aetna-Kelsey Care Commercial|HMO $901.52 ↑ +69%
Cigna Lifesource Commercial|Transplant $916.80 ↑ +71%
BCBS-TX Commercial|Blue Premier $923.92 ↑ +73%
First Health Commercial|All Plans $993.20 ↑ +86%
Coventry Commercial|PPO $993.20 ↑ +86%
Humana Commercial|Transplant $993.20 ↑ +86%
Aetna Commercial|HMO $1,039.04 ↑ +94%
Interlink Commercial|Transplant $1,069.60 ↑ +100%
Healthsmart Commercial|PPO $1,069.60 ↑ +100%
Cigna Commercial|Transplant $1,069.60 ↑ +100%
MultiPlan Commercial|All Plans $1,146.00 ↑ +114%
NX Health Commercial|PPO $1,170.97 ↑ +119%
BCBS-TX Commercial|HMO $1,241.34 ↑ +132%
OPTUM Medicaid|STARPLUS $1,262.44 ↑ +136%
USA Health Network Commercial|All Plans $1,298.80 ↑ +143%
BCBS-TX Commercial|PPO $1,453.89 ↑ +172%
MHealth Network Commercial|PPO $1,528.00 ↑ +186%

Visitor-reported prices

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Surgical pathology level 5 gross & microscopic examination at other Texas hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Adventhealth Rollins Brook Lampasas $1,114.69 $1,091.13 – $1,091.13
BAYLOR UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER Dallas $476.75 $35.00 – $890.45
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BRENHAM Brenham $519.16 $36.00 – $890.45
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BUDA Suite 110 $491.47 $36.00 – $890.45
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - CENTENNIAL Frisco $476.75 $35.00 – $890.45
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - COLLEGE STATION College Station $519.16 $36.00 – $890.45
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE CONTINUING CARE HOSPITAL Temple $519.16 $26.00 – $890.45
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE EMERGENCY MEDICAL CENTER - CEDAR PARK Cedar Park $491.47 $36.00 – $890.45

All Texas hospitals for this procedure →