Morphometric analysis in situ hybridization computer-assisted per specimen each multiplex stain at UPMC Altoona

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

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

$498.60

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.

$831.00

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.

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

$100.15 with Highmark BCBS of PA vs $664.80 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.

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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.

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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.

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Negotiated rate vs. cash
Highmark BCBS of PA Community Blue Medicare Advantage/Complete Blue Medicare Advantage/Freedom Blue Medicare Advantage/Security Blue Medicare Advantage/Together Blue Medicare Advantage $100.15 ↓ -80%
Health Partners Plans (Jefferson Health Plan) Medicaid/CHIP $118.53 ↓ -76%
Aetna Medicaid $118.53 ↓ -76%
United Healthcare Community Plan for Families PA CHIP/PA Medicaid $124.46 ↓ -75%
UPMC Health Plan Managed Medicaid $130.38 ↓ -74%
Geisinger Medicaid $164.74 ↓ -67%
Highmark Wholecare (prev Gateway) Medicaid $175.78 ↓ -65%
AmeriHealth Caritas Community HealthChoices (CHC)/Medicaid $185.04 ↓ -63%
PA Health & Wellness Community Health Choices/PA Medicaid HMO $202.00 ↓ -59%
UPMC Work Partners Workers Comp $204.78 ↓ -59%
Highmark Wholecare (prev Gateway) Medicare $415.50 ↓ -17%
Cigna Commercial $415.50 ↓ -17%
Preferred Healthcare System PPO $415.50 ↓ -17%
United Healthcare Commercial $425.97 ↓ -15%
Aetna Commercial $440.43 ↓ -12%
Geisinger Commercial $457.05 ↓ -8%
UPMC Health Plan CHIP $592.70 ↑ +19%
UPMC Health Plan Commercial $645.81 ↑ +30%
Private Health Care Systems PPO $664.80 ↑ +33%
US Family Health Plan Tricare Prime not published by hospital
Tricare East Region not published by hospital

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Morphometric analysis in situ hybridization computer-assisted per specimen each multiplex stain at other Pennsylvania hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
UPMC Bedford Everett $627.60 $58.94 – $941.40
UPMC Carlisle Carlisle $337.20 $76.99 – $477.70
UPMC Cole Coudersport $910.80 $53.00 – $1,214.40
UPMC Community Osteopathic Harrisburg $337.20 $112.40 – $592.70
UPMC East Monroeville $447.00 $101.11 – $596.00
UPMC Hamot Erie $562.80 $100.15 – $265.77
UPMC Northwest Seneca $616.20 $148.16 – $265.77
UPMC Hanover Hanover $337.20 $153.91 – $278.14

All Pennsylvania hospitals for this procedure →