Shock wave lithotripsy cost in Houston, TX
In Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX, 12 hospitals list a cash price for shock-wave lithotripsy to break up kidney stones (from outside the body): from $2,829.96 to $28,513.50, with a median of $25,155.00. The lowest listed price is at Harris Health and 1 other hospital — $22,325.04 less than the median here. Across Texas, the median is $11,416.02 at 69 hospitals.
Cash prices at 12 facilities across 8 cities for code 50590, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 1, 2026 and Sep 1, 2026.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harris Health lowest Taub Loop Houston, TX · (713) 873-2000 ECHG PROC LITHOTRIPSY, EXTRACORPOREAL SHOCK WAVE | $2,829.96 | $5,983.00 | $2,991.50 | 53% | — source file |
| Harris Health lowest Houston, TX ECHG PROC LITHOTRIPSY, EXTRACORPOREAL SHOCK WAVE | $2,829.96 | $5,983.00 | $2,991.50 | 53% | — source file |
| Hsa St. Joseph Houston, TX · (713) 757-1000 FRAGMENTING OF KIDNEY STONE | $3,484.38 | — | $3,362.43–$4,957.46 | — | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital The Woodlands, TX · (936) 270-2000 HC LITHOTRIPSY EXTRCORP SHOCK WAV | $25,155.00 | $50,310.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Methodist West Houston Hospital Houston, TX · (832) 522-1000 HC LITHOTRIPSY EXTRCORP SHOCK WAV | $25,155.00 | $50,310.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Methodist Willowbrook Hospital Houston, TX · (281) 477-1000 HC LITHOTRIPSY EXTRCORP SHOCK WAV | $25,155.00 | $50,310.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Houston Methodist Continuing Care Hospital Katy, TX HC LITHOTRIPSY EXTRCORP SHOCK WAV | $25,155.00 | $50,310.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Houston Methodist Clear Lake Hospital Nassau Bay, TX · (281) 333-5503 HC LITHOTRIPSY EXTRCORP SHOCK WAV | $25,155.00 | $50,310.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Methodist Sugar Land Hospital Sugar Land, TX · (281) 274-8000 HC LITHOTRIPSY EXTRCORP SHOCK WAV | $25,155.00 | $50,310.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Houston Methodist Baytown Hospital Baytown, TX · (281) 420-8600 HC LITHOTRIPSY EXTRCORP SHOCK WAV | $25,155.00 | $50,310.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Houston Methodist Cypress Hospital Cypress, TX · (346) 618-1506 HC LITHOTRIPSY EXTRCORP SHOCK WAV | $25,155.00 | $50,310.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| The Methodist Hospital Houston, TX · (713) 790-2221 HC LITHOTRIPSY EXTRCORP SHOCK WAV | $28,513.50 | $57,027.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $2,829.96, median $25,155.00, highest $28,513.50 — a 10.1× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 11 facilities here, median $25,155.00. Inpatient and outpatient prices are not comparable and are kept on separate pages: the inpatient charge covers admission, not the same purchase.
Cash or insurance?
At 3 of 3 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 2 it is below every plan's rate. If you have insurance but have not met your deductible, you usually pay your plan's negotiated rate, which falls somewhere in the "Insurers pay" column. Paying cash can cost less, but a cash payment usually does not count toward your deductible. Ask the hospital for both numbers before you book.
What it is
Shock-wave lithotripsy breaks kidney or ureter stones into small pieces with sound waves aimed from outside the body, so the pieces can pass in the urine. No cut is made, and it is usually done under sedation or anesthesia.
What the price covers
The listed price usually covers the lithotripsy treatment in the facility. The urologist, anesthesia, X-rays and any stent placement are often billed separately; some hospitals rent the machine from an outside company, which can change how the charge is listed.