How much does Urgent care / office visit (new patient) cost in Houston?

Median insurer-negotiated rates range from $90 at Ben Taub Hospital to $596 at HCA Houston Healthcare Conroe, based on the hospitals' own federally mandated price files.

Is it cheaper to pay cash than use insurance?

Sometimes. Several hospitals publish discounted cash prices below the rates insurers negotiate. If you haven't met your deductible, ask for the self-pay price.

Why do prices differ so much between hospitals?

Each hospital negotiates rates separately with each insurer, and hospitals in the same health system usually share one contract. The same procedure with the same insurer can cost several times more across town.

Costs · Visit · Urgent care / office visit (new patient) · Houston · codes 99202, 99203, 99204

How much does an urgent care / office visit (new patient) cost in Houston?

New-patient office or urgent-care evaluation visit of low to moderate complexity. Below: the rates insurers have actually negotiated with 15 Houston-area hospitals, and the cash (self-pay) prices where published — from the hospitals' own federally required price files.

$90

lowest median negotiated rate

Ben Taub Hospital

$596

highest (adult hospitals)

HCA Houston Healthcare Conroe

6.6×

price spread

same procedure, same metro

Rates shown

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 15 hospitals · file dates 2026-02-28 → 2026-07-01 · retrieved 2026-08-03 → 2026-08-04

Paying cash can beat using insurance. At St. Luke's Health - Sugar Land Hospital, the self-pay price is $208 — less than the $356 median commercial-insurer rate. If you haven't met your deductible, ask for the cash rate.

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