Prices at 8 hospitals in Houston, TX, from their machine-readable files.
Cash / self-pay (median)
$515
Chargemaster (median)
$1,457
Insurer-negotiated (median)
$2,017
Medicare pays
$121
$474$571
Median cash $515 · Medicare $121 · bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Typical cash range: $474 – $571. The median cash price is about 4.2× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tops Surgical Specialty Hospital | Houston, TX | $456 | $660 | — | — | 14.4% |
| Memorial Hermann Hospital System | Houston, TX | $515 | — | ★ 3/5 | 229 min | 14.8% |
| Memorial Hermann – Texas Medical Center | Houston, TX | $515 | — | ★ 4/5 | 252 min | 14.6% |
| St Joseph Medical Center | Houston, TX | $595 | $412 | ★ 3/5 | 189 min | 15.2% |
CMS rating = overall hospital star rating (1–5); ER wait = median minutes in the emergency department; Readmit = 30-day readmission rate (lower is better) — all from Medicare’s Care Compare; “—” = not reported. Prices from hospitals’ machine-readable files (45 CFR §180); Medicare benchmark from CMS PFS/CLFS/IPPS. Estimates — confirm with the hospital. Report an incorrect price.