How much does a complete blood count (CBC) cost in Houston?
Common blood test counting red cells white cells and platelets with automated differential. Below: the rates insurers have actually negotiated with 20 Houston-area hospitals, and the cash (self-pay) prices where published — from the hospitals' own federally required price files.
$12
lowest median negotiated rate
Memorial Hermann Katy Hospital
$159
highest (adult hospitals)
St. Luke's Health - Sugar Land Hospital
13.2×
price spread
same procedure, same metro
Median negotiated rate per hospital · sorted low → high · hover a bar for the full receipt
cash (self-pay) price
| Hospital | Gross charge | Cash price | Negotiated | Range | # rates | vs median |
|---|
* Specialty hospital (pediatric or cancer center) — rates reflect specialty case mix. † Median based on fewer than 3 published rates — treat as indicative. Bars show the median dollar-denominated commercial negotiated rate; hospitals sharing a health-system contract show similar rates.
SOURCE: standard-charges files from 20 hospitals · file dates 2026-02-28 → 2026-07-01 · retrieved 2026-08-03 → 2026-08-04
Paying cash can beat using insurance. At Ben Taub Hospital, the self-pay price is $8 — less than the $20 median commercial-insurer rate. If you haven't met your deductible, ask for the cash rate.
Skipping the hospital? 8
independent imaging/outpatient centers in this area negotiate a median
$5 all-in for this procedure (9 insurer
rates) — less than the lowest hospital facility fee above ($12).
- Lone Star Pathology Pllc — $4
- Ut Physicians — $4
- Rebecca Philips — $4
- Calvary Med Pa — $5