Cytopathology cellular enhancement technique non-gyn at UPMC Altoona

620 Howard Avenue, Altoona, PA · UPMC · · NPI 112418570

Source: hospital's published price file ↗ · Published unknown · Ingested Aug 12, 2026

$177.60

Cash price

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Discounted cash price

What a hospital charges a self-pay patient who pays directly, without going through insurance — usually well below the gross charge.

Example: A CT scan has a $3,200 gross charge but an $850 discounted cash price. Ask for it by name when scheduling — hospitals don't always advertise it up front.

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What you pay up front if you don't use insurance.

$296.00

Gross charge

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Gross charge (chargemaster price)

The hospital's full, undiscounted list price — pulled from its internal "chargemaster" price list. Almost no one actually pays this.

Example: A chest X-ray has a gross charge of $1,450. The same hospital's discounted cash price for the same X-ray is $180 — the gross charge mostly anchors negotiations, not what patients pay.

Full explanation →

The hospital's undiscounted list price — almost no one pays this.

$41.26 with Health Partners Plans (Jefferson Health Plan) vs $236.80 with Private Health Care Systems — same scan, same building. Share

Negotiated rates by payer
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Negotiated rate

The price a specific insurance plan agreed to pay the hospital for a service — it varies by insurer, and even by plan within the same insurer.

Example: The same knee MRI has a negotiated rate of $904 with one insurer's PPO plan and $1,509 with another's — identical hospital, identical scan.

Full explanation →

Payer
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Payer

The insurance company footing the bill — Aetna, UnitedHealthcare, Medicare, and so on.

Example: "Blue Cross Blue Shield" is the payer. Its negotiated rate for an MRI might be $904, while a different payer's negotiated rate for the same scan is $1,509.

Full explanation →
Plan
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Plan

The specific product an insurer sells — e.g. "Blue Cross PPO 500" — which sets your deductible, coinsurance and negotiated rates.

Example: Two people both insured by Aetna can owe very different amounts for the same MRI: $50 with an HMO plan's flat copay, or the full $1,200 toward a high-deductible PPO plan's unmet deductible.

Full explanation →
Negotiated rate vs. cash
Health Partners Plans (Jefferson Health Plan) Medicaid/CHIP $41.26 ↓ -77%
Aetna Medicaid $41.26 ↓ -77%
United Healthcare Community Plan for Families PA CHIP/PA Medicaid $43.32 ↓ -76%
UPMC Health Plan Managed Medicaid $45.39 ↓ -74%
Geisinger Medicaid $57.35 ↓ -68%
Highmark Wholecare (prev Gateway) Medicaid $61.19 ↓ -66%
AmeriHealth Caritas Community HealthChoices (CHC)/Medicaid $64.41 ↓ -64%
PA Health & Wellness Community Health Choices/PA Medicaid HMO $70.32 ↓ -60%
UPMC Work Partners Workers Comp $97.96 ↓ -45%
Highmark BCBS of PA Community Blue Medicare Advantage/Complete Blue Medicare Advantage/Freedom Blue Medicare Advantage/Security Blue Medicare Advantage/Together Blue Medicare Advantage $100.38 ↓ -43%
UPMC Health Plan CHIP $142.74 ↓ -20%
Cigna Commercial $148.00 ↓ -17%
Highmark Wholecare (prev Gateway) Medicare $148.00 ↓ -17%
Preferred Healthcare System PPO $148.00 ↓ -17%
United Healthcare Commercial $151.73 ↓ -15%
UPMC Health Plan Commercial $155.53 ↓ -12%
Aetna Commercial $156.88 ↓ -12%
Geisinger Commercial $162.80 ↓ -8%
Private Health Care Systems PPO $236.80 ↑ +33%
US Family Health Plan Tricare Prime not published by hospital
Tricare East Region not published by hospital

Visitor-reported prices

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Cytopathology cellular enhancement technique non-gyn at other Pennsylvania hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
UPMC Bedford Everett $591.60 $18.38 – $887.40
UPMC Carlisle Carlisle $116.40 $26.58 – $228.71
UPMC Cole Coudersport $128.40 $42.51 – $218.54
UPMC Community Osteopathic Harrisburg $265.20 $38.80 – $228.71
UPMC East Monroeville $776.40 $39.27 – $1,035.20
UPMC Hamot Erie $375.00 $23.43 – $218.54
UPMC Northwest Seneca $316.20 $39.63 – $218.54
UPMC Hanover Hanover $116.40 $50.53 – $228.71

All Pennsylvania hospitals for this procedure →