Texas / HCA Houston Healthcare Northwest
CMS certification 450638 · Houston, TX · 3 entries in CMS's price-transparency list
HCA Houston Healthcare Northwest: charges and Medicare payments
HCA Houston Healthcare Northwest reported 661 Medicare inpatient stays across 26 DRGs in 2024. Across them it charged 10.47 times what it was paid — among the higher ratios in Texas, number 32 of 190 hospitals with at least 100 stays (state median 5.35×, national 4.15×). Its most frequent stay was DRG 871, Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC: 169 stays at an average charge of $194,025, 115% above the national average. It also billed 182 outpatient services, charging 29.59 times what Medicare paid.
- 1Medicare inpatient stays 661
- 2Charge ÷ paid, inpatient 10.47×
- 3Rank in TX (highest ratio = 1) 32 of 190
- 4CMS price-transparency actions 3
Inpatient stays
For the 26 DRGs that can be compared with the national average, HCA Houston Healthcare Northwest charged more than the national average in 26 (100%). Payments follow Medicare's rates, so they usually vary far less than charges.
| DRG | Stays | Avg charge | vs US | Avg paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 871 Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC | 169 | $194,025 | +115% | $18,776 |
| 291 Heart Failure and Shock with MCC | 53 | $95,592 | +70% | $15,179 |
| 280 Acute Myocardial Infarction, Discharged Alive with MCC | 49 | $152,718 | +101% | $16,690 |
| 682 Renal Failure with MCC | 34 | $124,071 | +88% | $15,380 |
| 640 Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and... | 32 | $129,841 | +115% | $15,420 |
| 064 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction with MCC | 26 | $274,546 | +175% | $18,509 |
| 683 Renal Failure with CC | 26 | $100,347 | +147% | $12,115 |
| 698 Other Kidney and Urinary Tract Diagnoses with MCC | 26 | $187,182 | +155% | $18,068 |
| 853 Infectious and Parasitic Diseases with O.R. Procedures with... | 20 | $754,985 | +230% | $49,842 |
| 189 Pulmonary Edema and Respiratory Failure | 19 | $97,959 | +70% | $14,666 |
| 481 Hip and Femur Procedures except Major Joint with CC | 18 | $390,826 | +288% | $19,632 |
| 872 Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours without MCC | 18 | $118,635 | +142% | $13,254 |
| 552 Medical Back Problems without MCC | 14 | $156,440 | +220% | $12,478 |
| 641 Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and... | 14 | $73,887 | +99% | $19,836 |
| 193 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with MCC | 13 | $127,505 | +113% | $15,054 |
| 690 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections without MCC | 13 | $122,835 | +225% | $11,571 |
| 811 Red Blood Cell Disorders with MCC | 13 | $113,035 | +66% | $16,397 |
| 177 Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with MCC | 12 | $145,442 | +106% | $17,133 |
| 208 Respiratory System Diagnosis with Ventilator Support <=96... | 12 | $305,768 | +125% | $23,580 |
| 312 Syncope and Collapse | 12 | $123,668 | +172% | $11,776 |
| 392 Esophagitis, Gastroenteritis and Miscellaneous Digestive... | 12 | $93,152 | +132% | $10,261 |
| 432 Cirrhosis and Alcoholic Hepatitis with MCC | 12 | $107,458 | +12% | $19,827 |
| 025 Craniotomy and Endovascular Intracranial Procedures with MCC | 11 | $792,580 | +242% | $48,155 |
| 470 Major Hip and Knee Joint Replacement or Reattachment of... | 11 | $272,607 | +193% | $26,865 |
| 637 Diabetes with MCC | 11 | $128,180 | +93% | $15,105 |
| 689 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections with MCC | 11 | $148,455 | +189% | $12,240 |
Outpatient services
| Service (APC) | Services | Avg charge | Medicare allowed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 3 Urology and Related Services | 28 | $58,116 | $1,841 |
| Level 1 Intraocular Procedures | 20 | $48,963 | $2,161 |
| Level 2 Upper GI Procedures | 19 | $41,843 | $1,764 |
| Level 2 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and Drainage | 18 | $36,806 | $1,503 |
| Comprehensive Observation Services | 17 | $40,382 | $2,538 |
| Level 4 Urology and Related Services | 16 | $72,552 | $3,233 |
| Level 4 Musculoskeletal Procedures | 15 | $152,572 | $6,634 |
| Level 1 Laparoscopy and Related Services | 14 | $122,512 | $5,350 |
| Level 3 Musculoskeletal Procedures | 13 | $118,152 | $3,001 |
| Level 5 Musculoskeletal Procedures | 11 | $268,548 | $12,187 |
| Level 4 Vascular Procedures | 11 | $115,291 | $5,096 |
Against the Texas average
For Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC (DRG 871), HCA Houston Healthcare Northwest charged $194,025 on average, 75% more than the Texas average of $111,133, and was paid $18,776 against a state average of $16,694. For Heart Failure and Shock with MCC (DRG 291), HCA Houston Healthcare Northwest charged $95,592 on average, 41% more than the Texas average of $67,944, and was paid $15,179 against a state average of $11,820. For Acute Myocardial Infarction, Discharged Alive with MCC (DRG 280), HCA Houston Healthcare Northwest charged $152,718 on average, 65% more than the Texas average of $92,713, and was paid $16,690 against a state average of $13,694. For Renal Failure with MCC (DRG 682), HCA Houston Healthcare Northwest charged $124,071 on average, 60% more than the Texas average of $77,512, and was paid $15,380 against a state average of $12,864. For Level 3 Urology and Related Services (outpatient APC 5373), its average charge of $58,116 was 227% above the state average of $17,781. For Level 1 Intraocular Procedures (outpatient APC 5491), its average charge of $48,963 was 198% above the state average of $16,442. For Level 2 Upper GI Procedures (outpatient APC 5302), its average charge of $41,843 was 158% above the state average of $16,236. For Level 2 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and Drainage (outpatient APC 5072), its average charge of $36,806 was 161% above the state average of $14,089.
Price-transparency record
CMS's enforcement list records these actions for a hospital named HCA Houston Healthcare Northwest in Houston, TX, under the federal hospital price-transparency rule (45 CFR part 180), which requires hospitals to post their standard charges online:
- Warning Notice — 2023-06-26 (CMS case 568)
- Closure Notice — 2023-10-13 (CMS case 568)
- Met Requirements — 2025-05-05 (CMS case 4284)
A warning notice or corrective-action request is not a finding of wrongdoing; "Met Requirements" and closure notices record that CMS's review ended. Matched to this hospital by exact name, city and state.
Charges are the hospital's list prices averaged over its 2024 Medicare cases; payments are what those cases actually brought in. Neither is what you will pay. For a planned procedure, ask the hospital for its price estimate or, if you are uninsured or self-paying, a good-faith estimate.
Sources: CMS Medicare Inpatient Hospitals — by Provider and Service / by Geography and Service, data year 2024; CMS Medicare Outpatient Hospitals — by Provider and Service / by Geography and Service, data year 2024; CMS Hospital Price Transparency Enforcement Activities and Outcomes, July 2026. Checked 2026-10-24. Methodology.