Peripheral bone density scan cost in Houston, TX
In Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX, 23 hospitals list a cash price for DEXA bone density scan of the wrist, heel or finger (peripheral): from $36.05 to $2,390.67, with a median of $541.50. The lowest listed price is at The Community Hospital of Brazosport — $505.45 less than the median here. Across Texas, the median is $220.43 at 148 hospitals.
- The median here, $541.50, is 182% above the US median of $192.36.
- That is 6.1× Medicare's 2026 national rate for the same service ($88.91).
- Houston, TX ranks 3rd of 3 metro areas in Texas by median, cheapest first.
- 10 of 23 hospitals list a cash price equal to their full list price, with no self-pay discount.
Cash prices at 23 facilities across 16 cities for code 77081, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Nov 4, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Feb 28, 2026 and Sep 8, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Community Hospital of Brazosport lowest Lake Jackson, TX · (979) 297-4411 DEXA BONE DENSITY PERIPHERAL File of Feb 28, 2026 · source file | $36.05 | $103.00 | $6.18–$213.15 | 65% |
| Harris Health Houston, TX · (713) 873-2000 DEXA BONE DENSITY/PERIPHERAL 1+ SITES (RADIUS, WRIST, HEEL) File of Mar 24, 2026 · source file | $84.49 | $83.00 | $24.02–$53.95 | -2% |
| Harris Health Taub Loop Houston, TX · (713) 873-2000 DEXA BONE DENSITY/PERIPHERAL 1+ SITES (RADIUS, WRIST, HEEL) File of Mar 24, 2026 · source file | $84.49 | $83.00 | $24.02–$53.95 | -2% |
| Hsa St. Joseph Houston, TX · (713) 757-1000 DXA BN DENSTY/PERIPH 1+SITE File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $85.67 | $272.90 | $82.67–$122.39 | 69% |
| Shriners Childrens Texas Galveston, TX · (409) 770-6600 DXA BONE DENSITY APPENDICULR File of Mar 18, 2026 · source file | $153.80 | $153.80 | $24.60–$176.10 | — |
| Texas Children's Hospital Houston, TX · (832) 824-1000 TC DEXA BONE DENSITY STUDY, APPENDICULAR SKELETON+2 more lines at this price File of Mar 5, 2026 · source file | $185.59 | $277.00 | $31.74–$263.15 | 33% |
| Sweeny Community Hospital Sweeny, TX · (979) 548-3311 DXA bone density measurement of forearm, finger, hand, or foot File of Sep 8, 2026 · source file | $213.18 | $355.30 | $106.59–$355.30 | 40% |
| The Methodist Hospital Houston, TX · (713) 790-2221 HC BONE DENSITY-PERIPHERAL File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $350.50 | $701.00 | — | 50% |
| Houston Methodist Cypress Hospital Cypress, TX · (346) 618-1506 HC BONE DENSITY-PERIPHERAL File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $541.50 | $1,083.00 | — | 50% |
| Houston Methodist Clear Lake Hospital Nassau Bay, TX · (281) 333-5503 HC BONE DENSITY-PERIPHERAL File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $541.50 | $1,083.00 | — | 50% |
| Methodist West Houston Hospital Houston, TX · (832) 522-1000 HC BONE DENSITY-PERIPHERAL File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $541.50 | $1,083.00 | — | 50% |
| Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital The Woodlands, TX · (936) 270-2000 HC BONE DENSITY-PERIPHERAL File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $541.50 | $1,083.00 | — | 50% |
| Methodist Sugar Land Hospital Sugar Land, TX · (281) 274-8000 HC BONE DENSITY-PERIPHERAL File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $541.50 | $1,083.00 | — | 50% |
| Houston Methodist Continuing Care Hospital Katy, TX HC BONE DENSITY-PERIPHERAL File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $541.50 | $1,083.00 | — | 50% |
| Methodist Willowbrook Hospital Houston, TX · (281) 477-1000 HC BONE DENSITY-PERIPHERAL File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $541.50 | $1,083.00 | — | 50% |
| Houston Methodist Baytown Hospital Baytown, TX · (281) 420-8600 HC BONE DENSITY-PERIPHERAL File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $541.50 | $1,083.00 | — | 50% |
| HCA Houston Healthcare Southeast Pasadena, TX · (713) 359-1000 Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), bone density study, 1 or more sites; appendicular skeleton (peripheral) (eg, radius, wrist, heel) +1 more line at this price File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $649.53 | $649.53 | $32.04–$584.58 | — |
| Cornerstone Hospital Conroe Conroe, TX DEXA BONE DENSITY WRIST/HEEL File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $920.00 | $920.00 | — | — |
| HCA Houston Healthcare Clear Lake Alvin, TX · (281) 332-2511 DXA BONE DENSITY PERIPHL+1 more line at this price File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $1,859.18 | $1,859.18 | $32.04–$1,673.26 | — |
| HCA Houston Mainland Texas City, TX · (281) 332-2511 DXA BONE DENSITY PERIPHL+1 more line at this price File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $1,859.18 | $1,859.18 | $32.04–$1,673.26 | — |
| HCA Houston Healthcare Conroe Conroe, TX · (936) 539-1111 DXA BONE DENSITY PERIPHL+1 more line at this price File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $2,069.70 | $2,069.70 | $32.04–$1,862.73 | — |
| HCA Houston Healthcare Kingwood Humble, TX · (281) 359-7500 Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), bone density study, 1 or more sites; appendicular skeleton (peripheral) (eg, radius, wrist, heel) +1 more line at this price File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $2,349.13 | $2,349.13 | $32.04–$2,114.22 | — |
| HCA Houston Healthcare Tomball Houston, TX · (281) 351-7500 Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), bone density study, 1 or more sites; appendicular skeleton (peripheral) (eg, radius, wrist, heel) +1 more line at this price File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $2,390.67 | $2,390.67 | $78.64–$2,032.07 | — |
Outpatient: lowest $36.05, median $541.50, highest $2,390.67 — a 66.3× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 14 facilities here, median $541.50. 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 5 of 13 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at none is it 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 peripheral bone density scan is, what the price covers and why prices differ: Peripheral bone density scan explained.