Texas / HCA Houston Healthcare West
CMS certification 450644 · Houston, TX · 2 entries in CMS's price-transparency list
HCA Houston Healthcare West: charges and Medicare payments
HCA Houston Healthcare West reported 527 Medicare inpatient stays across 20 DRGs in 2024. Across them it charged 8.23 times what it was paid — among the higher ratios in Texas, number 53 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: 134 stays at an average charge of $172,734, 91% above the national average. It also billed 227 outpatient services, charging 18.22 times what Medicare paid.
- 1Medicare inpatient stays 527
- 2Charge ÷ paid, inpatient 8.23×
- 3Rank in TX (highest ratio = 1) 53 of 190
- 4CMS price-transparency actions 2
Inpatient stays
For the 20 DRGs that can be compared with the national average, HCA Houston Healthcare West charged more than the national average in 20 (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 | 134 | $172,734 | +91% | $19,753 |
| 291 Heart Failure and Shock with MCC | 48 | $100,961 | +79% | $13,391 |
| 640 Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and... | 40 | $89,608 | +49% | $13,541 |
| 193 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with MCC | 33 | $124,020 | +108% | $14,373 |
| 177 Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with MCC | 28 | $114,366 | +62% | $17,001 |
| 682 Renal Failure with MCC | 27 | $125,029 | +90% | $15,445 |
| 683 Renal Failure with CC | 22 | $83,372 | +105% | $10,359 |
| 853 Infectious and Parasitic Diseases with O.R. Procedures with... | 20 | $388,392 | +70% | $37,993 |
| 870 Septicemia or Severe Sepsis with MV >96 Hours | 20 | $344,561 | +7% | $52,551 |
| 280 Acute Myocardial Infarction, Discharged Alive with MCC | 18 | $139,604 | +84% | $16,263 |
| 872 Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours without MCC | 17 | $104,249 | +113% | $11,967 |
| 641 Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and... | 16 | $93,510 | +152% | $9,361 |
| 690 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections without MCC | 16 | $64,255 | +70% | $9,975 |
| 698 Other Kidney and Urinary Tract Diagnoses with MCC | 15 | $155,327 | +112% | $16,522 |
| 208 Respiratory System Diagnosis with Ventilator Support <=96... | 14 | $175,884 | +30% | $24,673 |
| 101 Seizures without MCC | 13 | $67,161 | +38% | $11,102 |
| 189 Pulmonary Edema and Respiratory Failure | 12 | $107,343 | +86% | $12,725 |
| 637 Diabetes with MCC | 12 | $104,715 | +57% | $14,939 |
| 064 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction with MCC | 11 | $178,036 | +78% | $19,153 |
| 274 Percutaneous and Other Intracardiac Procedures without MCC | 11 | $336,286 | +115% | $29,178 |
Outpatient services
| Service (APC) | Services | Avg charge | Medicare allowed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comprehensive Observation Services | 33 | $44,016 | $2,539 |
| Level 4 Musculoskeletal Procedures | 23 | $130,407 | $6,634 |
| Level 3 Vascular Procedures | 23 | $64,147 | $2,956 |
| Level 3 Musculoskeletal Procedures | 21 | $87,717 | $3,001 |
| Level 3 Electrophysiologic Procedures | 20 | $360,489 | $21,966 |
| Level 1 Endovascular Procedures | 19 | $49,418 | $3,026 |
| Level 1 Laparoscopy and Related Services | 19 | $82,505 | $5,350 |
| Level 2 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and Drainage | 17 | $22,215 | $1,504 |
| Level 5 Urology and Related Services | 16 | $96,646 | $4,798 |
| Level 3 Endovascular Procedures | 12 | $140,272 | $10,192 |
| Level 2 ICD and Similar Procedures | 12 | $282,644 | $30,415 |
| Level 4 Urology and Related Services | 12 | $56,743 | $3,233 |
Against the Texas average
For Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC (DRG 871), HCA Houston Healthcare West charged $172,734 on average, 55% more than the Texas average of $111,133, and was paid $19,753 against a state average of $16,694. For Heart Failure and Shock with MCC (DRG 291), HCA Houston Healthcare West charged $100,961 on average, 49% more than the Texas average of $67,944, and was paid $13,391 against a state average of $11,820. For Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and Electrolytes with MCC (DRG 640), HCA Houston Healthcare West charged $89,608 on average, 31% more than the Texas average of $68,203, and was paid $13,541 against a state average of $12,119. For Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with MCC (DRG 193), HCA Houston Healthcare West charged $124,020 on average, 68% more than the Texas average of $73,756, and was paid $14,373 against a state average of $11,597. For Comprehensive Observation Services (outpatient APC 8011), its average charge of $44,016 was 57% above the state average of $27,955. For Level 4 Musculoskeletal Procedures (outpatient APC 5114), its average charge of $130,407 was 122% above the state average of $58,833. For Level 3 Vascular Procedures (outpatient APC 5183), its average charge of $64,147 was 127% above the state average of $28,214. For Level 3 Musculoskeletal Procedures (outpatient APC 5113), its average charge of $87,717 was 188% above the state average of $30,502.
Price-transparency record
CMS's enforcement list records these actions for a hospital named HCA Houston Healthcare West in Houston, TX, under the federal hospital price-transparency rule (45 CFR part 180), which requires hospitals to post their standard charges online:
- Met Requirements — 2023-10-12 (CMS case 1915)
- Met Requirements — 2025-06-03 (CMS case 4836)
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.