Infectious agent nucleic acid amplified probe sars-cov-2/covid-19 at UPMC Altoona

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

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

$75.00

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.

Full explanation →

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

$125.00

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.

$35.49 with Health Partners Plans (Jefferson Health Plan) vs $106.78 with UPMC Health Plan — 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 $35.49 ↓ -53%
Aetna Medicaid $35.49 ↓ -53%
United Healthcare Community Plan for Families PA CHIP/PA Medicaid $37.26 ↓ -50%
UPMC Health Plan Managed Medicaid $39.04 ↓ -48%
Geisinger Medicaid $49.33 ↓ -34%
UPMC Work Partners Workers Comp $50.71 ↓ -32%
UPMC Health Plan Managed Medicare $52.33 ↓ -30%
Highmark Wholecare (prev Gateway) Medicaid $52.63 ↓ -30%
UPMC Health Plan Partners/Select $53.19 ↓ -29%
United Healthcare Medicare $54.90 ↓ -27%
AmeriHealth Caritas Community HealthChoices (CHC)/Medicaid $55.40 ↓ -26%
Highmark Wholecare (prev Gateway) Medicare $55.41 ↓ -26%
Cigna Medicare $55.41 ↓ -26%
PA Health & Wellness Allwell Medicare Advantage DSNP/Medicare Advantage (Allwell by Wellcare) $55.41 ↓ -26%
AmeriHealth Caritas Medicare $55.41 ↓ -26%
PA Health & Wellness Community Health Choices/PA Medicaid HMO $60.48 ↓ -19%
Cigna Commercial $62.50 ↓ -17%
Preferred Healthcare System PPO $62.50 ↓ -17%
United Healthcare Commercial $64.08 ↓ -15%
Aetna Commercial $66.25 ↓ -12%
Geisinger Commercial $68.75 ↓ -8%
Highmark BCBS of PA Community Blue Medicare Advantage/Complete Blue Medicare Advantage/Freedom Blue Medicare Advantage/Security Blue Medicare Advantage/Together Blue Medicare Advantage $95.41 ↑ +27%
UPMC Health Plan CHIP $98.00 ↑ +31%
Private Health Care Systems PPO $100.00 ↑ +33%
UPMC Health Plan Commercial $106.78 ↑ +42%

Visitor-reported prices

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Infectious agent nucleic acid amplified probe sars-cov-2/covid-19 at other Pennsylvania hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
UPMC Bedford Everett $75.00 $18.51 – $112.50
UPMC Carlisle Carlisle $75.00 $17.12 – $106.25
UPMC Cole Coudersport $93.00 $37.26 – $124.00
UPMC Community Osteopathic Harrisburg $75.00 $25.00 – $106.25
UPMC East Monroeville $75.00 $35.49 – $100.00
UPMC Hamot Erie $75.00 $35.49 – $95.41
UPMC Northwest Seneca $75.00 $39.04 – $55.41
UPMC Hanover Hanover $75.00 $35.49 – $82.10

All Pennsylvania hospitals for this procedure →